Spirits Within
by Knight Watcher
Summary: She was a woman warrior on a mission. He a soulless dead man. A friendship forged in battle. He challenged everything she thought certain and she stopped being his enemy when she fought at his side. A Shayera Hol-Solomon Grundy story.
1. Soul

It is only when they drug him does oblivion claim him. Otherwise he almost never settles into oblivion. He feels hunger and thirst though those two are easy to fill, but they come back yet they are never constant. At least not constant in the way that the pain of not remembering what he forgets when he rouses from oblivion. It is like a nightmare upon rousing, he almost remembers each time, but each rouse only greets him with the familiarity of blank spots instead of remembrances that slip away from him while in whatever everyone else calls reality.

He didn't know what reality is nor did he care to know it any longer. He is perpetually aware of what it feels like though however he thinks of it, his words convey something different than his thoughts. His voice doesn't sound like it does it when he is in oblivion or at least something tells him this. There are many things about him that he can't latch onto something because the only certainty is that he is always Grundy. Whatever they put into the air always makes him drowsy except he is too driven to break out of his cell. He had broken out many times before though each time always saw him soon back inside.

His captors would usually be soldiers because few ever had the means to match him head to head. Those that did usually were enemies of those who sought him for his brute strength alone. They would pay for his time, usually with gold, they know his affinity for gold well, but he never understood entirely why he had such a liking to it, maybe because it is tangible unlike anything that comes from inside him. He could never be sure of anything save his uncertainty and the nameless compulsion to keep looking for that which he had yet to find, something more fulfilling than connoisseur's delight at the sight of gold. He never did anything for free because he is never free especially when enclosed by heavily reinforced walls.

The shackles were merely 'extra security' especially if the soldiers' gas fails to maintain his sluggish bearing. It is immense physical strength and near invulnerable skin that makes holding him harder though this would be a complaint only from his jailers more than anyone else. They treat him like this, but he doesn't get why at least not at first. It is by helping others who they go after that he earns their persistence in pursuing him whenever he escapes. At he took to breaking out very often, but each subsequent time, he loses interest simply because he does not wish to have soldiers coming after him. They always find him, but he never finds it, he doesn't know what it is except in oblivion, which they call sleep.

Sleep does nothing for him except to remind him of everything he keeps forgetting by the time he is awake. He is driven yet others usually attack him or want something from him. His thoughts are almost unreadable yet they do evoke questions that he diverts from asking himself because thinking hurts almost as much as 'sleeping'. He knows he is not sleeping because people are rushing about trying to figure out why he is 'awake' because their gas should be making him sleep. His body is more a prison than this specially designed cell that they made for him. At times his resilience is truly astounding to some, but not many, no, because for those many, it means a new weapon must be made to 'pacify' him.

Over time, the soldiers' weapons were overcoming his 'inhuman' physiology. He felt the effects more strongly than he used to, but none so far have ever been as painful as the alternating forgetting and remembering that always comes with 'awake' and 'sleep'. This pain is his only constant companion. He never felt particularly close to even those who paid him for his 'help'. The only thing he tires of is the cycle that ensues every time he breaks out, but as he know from each escape, something in him refuses to stay put, to accept confinement.

His heavy eyelids flicker open for somehow his body is fighting the gas as it had done before. It is a constant battle for the military's science division to refine the gas and the weapons to keep up with the inexplicable 'mutations' in Grundy's physiology, but everything about him defies science just the same. He has no readable vital signs, no brain activity, no heartbeat, no pulse, yet he breathes, talks, move, and eats like anyone else though it is a misconception to say this is human and this is everyone else.

People luxuriate in the idea that there's a 'normal' and there's an 'abnormal'. They need something to separate themselves from being like everyone else. The catch is everyone (else) is human in some way or another. Appearances are usually deceiving, but of course at first glance someone like Grundy would illicit many responses that are not very 'positive' ones at that.

* * *

"He's awake, sir!" informs Captain Blaine.

"I can see that Captain," retorts Major Taggart.

"I already told them to up the gas dosage," continues Blaine.

"It won't be enough, break out the new weapons, we have to subdue him," insists Taggart.

"I want full squad deployments, the new specs, now get going!" orders Blaine.

"General Russell won't be happy about this, but hopefully we'll get Grundy down before he can…"

There are sounds of walls breaking, weapons getting torn apart, and then bodies flying as Grundy plows his way out of the detention block. Taggart races off to phone this in, but all he manages to get out is Grundy before Grundy himself is running towards him at breakneck speed. He and Grundy had something of a history because of Russell's daughter had seen how they kept Grundy in that cell. She couldn't fathom why such measures were 'necessary' to contain Grundy. She occasionally brought Grundy food, which she was only allowed to under armed supervision yet even in the presence of soldiers Grundy never did anything to her even if he was awake.

Taggart couldn't imagine what she saw in the zombie, maybe it was something none of them saw or maybe it was because 'women like her' shouldn't be let into places like this.

"Grundy remember you!" snarls Grundy.

"Great now… unhand me and go back to your cell!" demands Taggart.

"Grundy don't listen to you!" retorts Grundy.

"We'll recapture you, you know that don't you?" reminds Taggart.

"Soldiers don't listen to Grundy!" continues Grundy.

Grundy tosses Taggart aside and smashes through several more walls before finally clearing the prison.

The Army under the direction General Theodore 'Tomahawk' Russell gets on the move once receiving a call from Captain Blaine who had found the unconscious Major Taggart after the latter was thrown into a wall. Taggart would recover, but right now Russell has a single objective on his plate tonight. The recapture of Solomon Grundy, but he like Grundy would discover almost nothing ever goes according to plan.

* * *

He runs and fights them always because it is all he has ever done. They pursue and corner him because it is what they always do too.

He tires of this constant that they bring to him. Their weapons are changing with each encounter yet they don't kill him. No they will just take him back to the cell. He is then left with the others that they pursue too. It is difficult to be sure of anything especially what motivates him to break out of his cell. He doesn't like it there, nobody does, but he is never sure what he is breaking out for though he usually ends up falling in with those who offer him a cut of their heists. The ones that pay him, they assume that just because he likes gold that he will help them, which he typically does. Everyone assumes so much about him and nothing he has done compels them to leave him alone.

All these enemies what did he do to deserve this, he didn't know, he couldn't recall, they would attack soon, he is sure, they are predictable, maybe they'll talk, but he won't listen because they don't listen either. Words would get said, but none would hear them.

The soldiers fire at him. The rubble buries him. He can hear them above the rubble. They think him finished, they were wrong, they were always wrong, and he could never be right, not to them anyway.

"Leave Grundy alone!" snarls Grundy

He throws the jeep. They start firing at him with guns. He steps back reaching for more rubble and chucks several pieces in rapid succession. Each throw hits its target and still they fire. They don't stop until oblivion. He no longer wants oblivion, but he never gets what he wants.

There is a need in him, a craving. He knows not what it is for because he always forgets what he cannot remember because it is constantly forgotten.

Grundy picks up two tanks and smashes them together before they can shoot at him then tosses both in opposite directions before leaping again.

He keeps knocking tanks away from him. They hound him in numbers so there are usually more nearby and sure enough there are more closing in on him.

"Grundy told stupid soldiers to stay away, but soldiers still come."

He lifts a sizable chunk of pavement except the tanks fire on him. This time the shot hurts as he hears himself howling as if it hurt, but hurt is not the same as the constant pain inside, the pain of forgetting, the pain of not knowing. Grundy tries to hold it back, but a second tank joins the first so he tries to distance himself though his body won't respond, this weapon is paralyzing, maybe this time it would kill him, he wouldn't that, he would prefer it to going back to his cell. He already is a prisoner to a body that is its own kind of cell so why surround him with walls that he would seek to break just to escape the physical reminder of what his body already represents to him.

"He's finished. Get the cage!"

They would not end him. His suffering would continue as it always did. Back to where the walls are always closing in on him and where his only obsession is escaping them by breaking them. The firing stops. Their metal box, their dark cage hangs over him, but something else rises from the waters ahead of him. He had never seen anything like it or its rider. The soldiers attack them instead and the burning of his flesh halts. The weapons hurt more than before, but even those memories are unreliable.

The rider wrecks the tanks by mere strength alone. He also has only one hand for the other looks more like a weapon yet it deflects the weapons ammo. The soldiers still fire on him yet the rider turns his attention to Grundy.

"If you want to live, come with me," says the rider.

Grundy would follow the Fishman because it would mean escaping the soldiers, but the real escape has yet to come for him, the one that shatters his unending confusion about everything except for the pain within him. This is however only a glimmer of what he truly searches for, but he knows not what it is or where he will find it.

* * *

A portal opens ahead of them and soon they are no longer traveling by water. Grundy continues to follow the rider even through the portal. It is a strange place for Grundy had never such a place before, but he would grant the Fishman a favor for getting him away from the soldiers. The favor however would not be done for free, nothing is free nor is he, which is what he believes because men always trouble him.

"Where are we?"

Fishman says nothing. He talks almost not at all.

"You promised to give Grundy gold."

"And I will once you have done your part."

"If stupid Fishman tries to trick Grundy, Grundy will crush."

Not even clenching his fists unnerves Fishman.

"Charming. Your gold is inside."

Grundy hears a softer voice from behind them once they enter the next room.

"Welcome back, your Highness. I assume this is Solomon Grundy."

She like Fishman doesn't attack him. The confusion on his part is natural. The others who sought his service before usually didn't attack or trick him, but their enemies always got him sent back to the cell.

"My name is Inza."

"Do you have Grundy's gold?"

Fishman tips open the chest lid revealing the promised reward.

"Here brute. Everything I promised and more."

Grundy picks up a handful of it.

"Grundy likes gold!"

He didn't know why gold held such an appeal to him, but it is always the questions that brought on the head pains. Reward is tangible, everything else is not, which made him feel better for awhile until the reminders of the intangible come after him like the soldiers always do when he escapes the cell.

"Where is your husband?" asks the Fishman

"Preparing for the incantation," answers the Girl.

Grundy too enamored by the gold barely notices the conversation except it is likely about the favor Grundy will have to do for Fishman.

"I'll let him know you are here," continues the Girl.

She closes her eyes.

"_Kent, your guests have arrived."_

Fishman looks to Girl while almost ignoring Grundy next to him as Grundy is still paying more notice to the reward.

"He is on his way. Please make yourself comfortable."

Girl offers food. Fishman takes none. Grundy approaches yet hesitant to touch any of it. Girl tells him take all that he wants and so he downs the whole tray before him.

There is a spinning glow at the center of the room, which reconfigures into a portal in the shape of an ankh. Someone emerges, which causes Grundy to turn as he must now account for another person. He is suspicious of everyone, which is why he asks for reward to assure they don't trick him.

"I apologize for the delay."

"I have a kingdom to protect. Keep me waiting again at your peril."

Fishman doesn't like waiting. Neither does Grundy, Grundy starts to like Fishman. Magician approaches Grundy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grundy. I am Dr. Fate."

Grundy's mouth still full and Magician confuses him. He doesn't attack either.

"Girl gave Grundy the cookies."

Grundy points to Girl.

"I have done as you asked. Let's get on with it."

"Soon, but first I have to make sure he is truly what they say."

"Too much talking! Grundy bored!"

Grundy steps towards Magician with his fists clenched.

"What does stupid magician want Grundy to do for his gold?"

"I need to know your origins. How did you come to be as you are?"

"Grundy doesn't remember. Grundy's always been Grundy!"

This is true in the moment, it is always true when like this, but at other times, when there is nothing then he remembers only as he already knows to forget again.

"Doubtful. Perhaps a simple spell of revelation."

Magician's hands touch Grundy's skull.

* * *

"_**Yes I see it now. Your name was Cyrus Gold…"**_

_The memories from oblivion flash before Grundy. Only he is not Grundy. He is Cyrus Gold firing his weapon at others in uniforms. Others emerge from the bank behind him so to cover them he takes a hostage while they get into the vehicle next to him on the street. The police don't attack him while he holds the woman as a shield._

"_**An evil man who performed many evil deeds…"**_

_He and the other robbers got away from the scene with little trouble and regroup at the docks. Their loot for the night is gold bricks. He always had a thing for gold, maybe it was narcissistic because of his name, maybe it was the way it glints in the light, or maybe it was because to be 'good' at something he did 'bad' things. It usually works in his favor as nobody could catch him and his capture reward kept going up._

"_**Until the day your evil aroused as great as your own."**_

_His 'partners' all took aim at him. He never got to his gun. They riddled him with bullets. Cyrus Gold was dead before his body hit the floor. His killers wrap up his corpse and toss it in the trunk of the car. They leave for the woods far outside the city limits._

"_**They ended your life. Cursed you with a powerful grigri and dumped your remains in a swamp resonating with mystical properties of its own. These magics did not sit well together."**_

_Cyrus Gold was dead. However everything else including his body remains intact. His hair and skin turns gray white. His physical form enlarges beyond recognition. His suit rips considerably, but attire would no longer be a concern. Almost none of Cyrus' preoccupations would linger in what is left of him. The transformation is slow, but the reanimation even slower. Fate's spell opens the floodgate of memories that have only come to him as broken bits and pieces over the years._

_It is like oblivion yet without pain of remembering than forgetting as this time he must not forget._

"_**And so it was decades later that the swamp gave birth to a walking dead man, soulless and empty, always seeking and never knowing why."

* * *

**_

"Grundy remembers."

He clutches his skull. The pain is back, but he must fight it for the memories, he doesn't want to forget it all again. Men would pay for what they took from Grundy.

"He meets our needs," assures the Magician.

"Then we should begin immediately," insists Fishman.

Fishman looks directly to the Magician.

"The future of Atlantis is my only concern."

He lets go of his head as the pain subsides for a time.

"No. Grundy wants something."

"We're already agreed. You help us, I give you the gold."

"Grundy not want gold!"

Grundy shoves the chest towards the wall. It shatters spilling the shimmering gold coins to the floor.

"Grundy want what men took from him," implores Grundy.

"Their curse removed your soul," reminds Fate.

"Grundy wants it back. Will Magician help?" asks Grundy

"I will do everything I can," promises Fate.

"If you help Grundy, Grundy will help you," vows Grundy.

It is difficult to tell if the Magician, if Dr. Fate, is anyway moved by the walking dead man's words, but when Fate looked into Grundy he felt what Grundy felt though even he had to wonder how does someone continue to go on with that in their mind. Fate realizes it is because Grundy can do little else except endure because something in him refuses to give up the search and now that he knows what he is seeking, he would do anything to get it. It almost felt wrong in a way to use Grundy, but Grundy is willing to risk all for a soul he lost decades ago.

"Bring the Trident. We still have preparations to complete," commands Fate.

It is similarly not easy to discern what Aquaman makes of Grundy's new reward demand. All he knows is that Grundy is willing to help for nothing more than the need to regain his soul. He had heard the tale of Cyrus Gold's downfall just as Grundy had, but he is not Cyrus Gold anymore, he is Solomon Grundy. As Solomon, he now only seeks a soul and Aquaman need only look to the broken chest to know that to Solomon, a promise is a promise, his word is his vow. He looks to the hook that took the place of his self-amputated hand and realizes that even he made a sacrifice for that which is precious to him.

* * *

"I will warn you both again – because once I begin the spell I cannot stop," reminds Fate.

"And the pain will be unbearable. You told us this before. Get on with it," quips Aquaman.

"Stupid magician. Grundy not care about pain. Grundy wants his reward," interjects Grundy.

"Very well."

Everyone is already in position so Fate begins the spell.

_**"**__**The elements are gathered in a place of power – A wizard of great knowledge… the Trident of Poseidon… "**_

Fate's magic channels through the Poseidon's Trident held firmly by Aquaman, which he tips towards the prone Grundy bound to the altar beneath his massive body. Grundy feels the magic in him, it is clear that he is pain, but all present know he'll endure it for his reward.

_**"And the forbearance of a dead man."**_

Fate's chanting begins with the linking of the three.

_**"The walls between the worlds have been torn asunder."**_

The chanting resumes with the next line spoken.

_**"I order them now sealed."**_

There is further chanting with the third line's utterance.

_**"Power of the Titans which resides within their Trident, by the power of Lords of Order which resides within everything, by the power of Fate which resides in the Helmet of Naboo… "**_

Grundy's body starts to resonate with the strengthening of the spell. He begins to glow as the magic builds towards the completion of the spell. Fate's chanting continues after this and his own speaking of the fourth line.

_**"Banish the Old Ones and seal the breach."**_

Fate chants even more.

_**"So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands!"**_

The place of power is filling with the magic spell. It would not be long until the spell has done its work. Grundy weathers it all for the soul that he searches for now. He believes his soul will make him whole and end his aimless wandering, he is a dead man of faith tonight.

**_"So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands!"_**

The League trio had broken through the barrier by way of Hawkgirl's mace as Fate expected, but they would not interfere with this spell, they must not otherwise the Old Ones would come and then the end of the world as they all know it would soon follow the crossing.

"Stop!" shouts Wonder Woman.

Inza summons a barrier to enclose the Circle of Power. Neither Superman nor Wonder Woman would be able to breach it. Wonder Woman is instantly thrown backwards and then the magic from the barrier rapidly starts to wrap around her body. Hawkgirl shatters the barrier with her mace and the feedback knocks out Inza. Hawkgirl moves towards Fate and he tries to slow her down by using the Helmet's Eyes to stun her except she uses her mace once more. Fate realizes too late that Hawkgirl would ruin the spell and the feedback of his own magic thrown back at him knocks him to the ground.

"Do you realize what you have done? Leave here now!" snaps Aquaman.

"Not without Grundy and a good explanation," rebukes Superman.

"You've ruined everything! Aquaman stop them!" fumes Fate.

Fate walks towards Grundy who is distraught because he perhaps felt closer to his soul as his pain worsened through the channeling of the magic into him.

"I'll try to improvise something, but I must be allowed to concentrate!" continues Fate.

"Go away! Superman always takes everything from Grundy, but not this time! This time, Grundy crush!"

Grundy tackles Superman. Aquaman goes after Wonder Woman.

"I've got Aquaman. You take the Magician. Your mace seems to be giving him fits," says Wonder Woman.

"Just for the record, I didn't start this fight," remarks Hawkgirl.

"First time for everything," cracks Wonder Woman.

Hawkgirl flies after Fate, but he bolts upward to avoid her flying charge.

"Too much noise. Away!" shouts Fate.

Fate first opens a portal beneath Aquaman and Wonder Woman. They drop through it instantly. Next another portal swallows up Grundy and Superman. His attempt to summon a third to draw away Hawkgirl fails because of her mace. It is the metal's ability to disrupt magic that makes any attacks against her useless because as long as she has the mace no magic can do anything to her.

"Really not your day is it?" implies Hawkgirl.

He would have to rapidly improvise if he were to at least fend her off in his own home.

* * *

Fate's portal drops Grundy and Superman into the Egyptian Desert where they battle near one of the many structures built in the time of the Pharaohs.

"What were they trying to do to you?" asks Superman.

"Superman always attacks Grundy," remarks Grundy.

"I was trying to help you," retorts Superman.

"Help yourself!" shouts Grundy.

Grundy believes the only Magician truly wants to help him so long as Grundy helps the Magician. Superman is getting in the way of Grundy following his promise to the Magician and the Fishman.

Grundy knocks Superman to a nearby roof then jumps up to continue except Superman knocks him across the air over the pool and into the palm trees, which break under Grundy's weight. Grundy is quickly gets back on his feet and uses a monolith like a bat on the incoming Superman. The result again sends Superman flying higher. Superman smashes into a pyramid soon after. Superman recovers that races through the air faster than before and breaks through an enormous boulder Grundy throws at him before punching Grundy hard enough to send the dead man on his own flight into the air.

"I'm not here to hurt you Grundy. Give up," insists Superman.

"No. Grundy can't give up. Magician promised to help Grundy."

Grundy delivers an uppercut to Superman a split second later, which hurdles Superman up and away again though he recovers faster then hits Grundy back harder.

"Don't make me do this!" demands Superman.

Grundy torn between acts and words. He cannot resolve to do anything except fight or wreck all that stands between him and his reward. He simply knows no other way to do as he promises to the Magician. Superman doesn't listen just like the soldiers.

Grundy body slams Superman twice.

"Grundy will help Magician, and then Magician will help Grundy."

Superman then takes both of them airborne.

"Last chance, let me go," implores Superman.

"Grundy won't quit," vows Grundy.

Superman still won't listen, not just the words, but the feelings in those words. Grundy only fights Superman because Superman is in his way, not because he wants to fight him. Superman assumes Grundy's intentions by way of Grundy fighting him, but he fails to grasp why Grundy is fighting as he pays more mind to Grundy fighting. Grundy is a destroyer to Superman, but Grundy wants to be more now except nobody save the Magician cares about this change in the dead man because Magician had shown Grundy what men took from him long ago.

Superman then at breakneck speed slams himself and Grundy into the ground. Grundy is knocked out by the sudden stop when hitting the ground.

* * *

The other portal drops Aquaman and Wonder Woman onto an island in daytime.

"I'll try to make this as quick and as painless as possible," offers Aquaman.

Wonder Woman easily avoids Aquaman's strike and throws him over her shoulder in the process.

"Don't overestimate your abilities. My people are warriors, no less than yours," says Wonder Woman.

"As you wish, no quarter given," concludes Aquaman.

He uses his right hand and his body weight to flip himself back up then kick Wonder Woman in the upper body region, which throws her across the grass. He next strikes her with his harpoon hand, the weapon that replaces his self-amputated left hand, she bears it well, but he takes an enormous statue to bury her next only he could not foresee that her body is tougher than it looks at first glance. She pushes it off and back then charges at him. He is quick to block her strikes before returning his own. They continue this 'dance' with every move of melee combat and then she knocks him into another of the island's enormous statues. He drops down to one knee, he would not allow a woman to best him, it is just isn't done not with his family and Atlantis at stake.

They resume then she knocks him towards the water. A battle ending mistake on her part as he vaults up to her then grabs her tightly before rebounding off the statue behind her so together plummet into the water. The advantage here is his for he can breathe underwater, she cannot for long, and he pushes her downward with his harpoon hand at her neck. She would asphyxiate before long, he knows this, and then this fight would be over. He smiles at his quick thinking from her last mistake.

* * *

"Where are my friends?" demands Hawkgirl.

Fate's only 'answer' is to continue holding her off in the hopes that Grundy and Aquaman would return with the unconscious Superman and Wonder Woman. Her mace will deflect any magical attack and Fate's finesse as a fighter stems directly from magic. It might have been ill-advised to rely so much on magic at a time like this. Magic might have helped to reinforce the barriers, but magic seems unlikely to help him against Hawkgirl of Thanagar. Her weapon reveals her origins to him.

"Bring them back or I am going to find out what the bell on your head sounds like!" snaps Hawkgirl.

Her insults did not phase Fate, but he does think she has a dark sense of humor. She is far from home, she had to rely mostly on herself to survive here even as a member of the Justice League, she is still an outsider on Earth.

"You shouldn't make threats when you are so clearly outnumbered," counters Fate.

She fends off his magical doppelgangers with ease though his inventiveness might surprise her just a little unless her cries were not what he thought they were in the moment. She flies straight towards him as he hovers within a magic shield at the center of the Circle.

"Running out of tricks?" jests Hawkgirl.

"Not entirely," replies Fate.

He literally summons a Stone Guardian, which is better at holding her than the others yet even that she destroys with such ferocity that the weapon that is her greatest defense is also the source of all that makes her able to defeat his magic. Next he directs the stone griffins to breathe fire upon her. All the same, she quickly obliterates them as well before racing towards him yet she recognizes the runes in the circle within the circle for it is written in the language of her people.

"Those runes… they're Thanagarian," shouts Hawkgirl.

She flaps her wings faster and longer as she accelerates towards Fate. He directs all his attention and energy towards the shield around him.

"What do you know about Thanagar? Talk!" yells Hawkgirl.

* * *

Oblivion took Grundy again, which happened when Superman knocked him out. It is not over, it is never over, still someone in his way, but he would not give up, he could not, he had given his word and still needs his soul, he does not wish to remain like this anymore. Superman crosses back over with the unconscious Grundy to find Aquaman had bested Wonder Woman. Aquaman leaps towards Superman's position.

"Give him to me Superman," requests Aquaman.

"Let's slow this down. It's way past time you explained what's going on here," declares Superman.

"I'll explain it to your grieving friends," answers Aquaman.

The King of Atlantis moves to strike the Man of Steel, but Superman merely slams his fist into Aquaman knocking him out.

* * *

Fate continues to stream magic towards Hawkgirl and she keeps advancing as her mace dispels it all. He stops fighting her once seeing that both Aquaman and Grundy are down while Wonder Woman and Superman appear the victors in single combat against the two. Hawkgirl is about hit Fate's helmet except Wonder Woman grabs her wrist.

Hawkgirl look ready to injure him yet Wonder Woman's intervention saved his life. He did however grasp Hawkgirl's anger towards him especially in regards to the runes in the Circle of Power.

"You've run out of choices. Tell us what you are doing now!" commands Superman.

Suddenly there is a rip in the fabric of the space that surrounds the Circle. It glows brightly in the dark yet within it is a greater darkness that eclipses the light. It is the face of the Icthultu.

"We were trying to prevent _that_," says Fate.

Fate expects Hawkgirl would undoubtedly recognize the entity that made the tear. She would also realize the nature of the spell that Fate was attempting to cast when by way of her mace she broke the chain of the spell that was meant to prevent this crossing. She likely feel guilty for having done so because she well knows what they did to her people long ago and would do the same if not worse to Earth if they were able to fully crossover to this dimension. She would resolve to atone for her mistake in the only way she knows how, which is to fight, not all that different from Grundy in a way and she like Grundy is more than she appears to be.

* * *

A/N 1: Mary Shelley's **_Frankenstein_** substantially influenced my interpretation of Grundy during _**The Terror Beyond**_ (Part I). The remembering-forgetting element is something I think I came up with unless somebody in the comics already dealt with that I don't know. The creature in Frankenstein speaks of the pain he feels whenever he tries to remember the past and as such Grundy suffers a similar 'affliction'.

A/N 2: He remembers clearly in what passes as sleep for him. It is only when he is 'awake' that he forgets, which is like what happens to people who can't recall their dreams upon waking. Also I came up with my explanation for why he 'likes' gold, which I think fits my characterization of him.

A/N 3: Other perspectives besides Grundy's snuck into this chapter as I was writing. So there's Fate, Aquaman, and his already intended story opposite... Hawkgirl... Shayera Hol. I wanted to have others' reactions to Grundy's behavior besides Superman's which I actually find to be presumptuous.

A/N 4: I know they were all fighting each other, but like Hawkgirl said she didn't start the fight and does screw up Fate's plan though the alternative leads to a much more emotionally charged follow up in **_The Terror Beyond_** (Part II).

A/N 5: The dialogue save for what Grundy says in the prison exchanges are lifted from _**The Terror Beyond**_ (Part I). The way Grundy speaks at times remind me of Hulk. It was revealed that this team-up mirrors the Marvel Comics team The Defenders. Some counterparts between the two teams are more obvious than others.


	2. Faith

"Worm face tries to attack Grundy's friends. Grundy crush!" shouts Grundy.

Aquaman found it strange to again look upon Grundy like he was almost heroic, but then as unrefined as the walking dead man's words sound, the heart of them feels true, he'd crush them if he could, no doubting that, his faith in his friends is strong. His need of a soul even stronger yet as Grundy advances Aquaman steps between Grundy and the Icthultu.

"Stay back all of you. Everything is in the hands of Fate now," interjects Aquaman.

At those words, Dr. Fate takes flight to meet a nemesis he had sought to not face this night, but then things being as they are, he must for many lives including his own are at risk here. His hands begin to glow as he chants in an unfamiliar language except to the ears of Hawkgirl. At first his chanting appears to work except the Icthultu redirects the attack back at Fate and his pained screams can be heard instantly so Hawkgirl launches herself towards Fate intent to shore up his attack.

The original plan had not gone through because of what she had done with the mace so she must do this to make amends to Fate. She comes up behind Fate and offers forth her mace then both grip its handle while chanting the language together. The chanting in tandem with the magic intensifies as the mace functions like a channeling rod directing the mystical energy. It surges forth towards the rupture and the Icthultu thus sealing rupture yet this is by no means over… this is only a delay.

Together Fate and Hawkgirl descend to the Circle. Fate is hurt though not badly enough to slow him down though Hawkgirl would shoulder him like a comrade in arms. She had misunderstood him from the start, like the Thanagarian principle of strike first or die, he chose to seek out Aquaman as well as Grundy as a way to deny the Old Ones access to Earth again. The six only fought against each other out of deafness and misunderstanding that could not go on from here they would have to face this as a team.

"How could you possibly know that incantation?" asks Fate.

"Where I come from, it's the closest thing we have to a prayer," admits Hawkgirl.

"Is it over?" queries Aquaman.

"No. Only a beginning," replies Fate.

This does not surprise Hawkgirl because she like Fate understood the incantation's purpose.

"It will rest then attack again. We must complete the original spell," continues Fate.

"You don't have the strength," warns Inza.

Hawkgirl could read the concern in Inza's eyes, as a woman, she knows what it means to worry about a man you love beyond words, she didn't need to be told Inza loves Fate, she could feel it, if they are partners already, that would be an affirmation of this thought.

"Nor do I have a choice," reminds Fate.

Fate is a warrior in his own way in Hawkgirl's mind. He would do battle even though he realizes that Inza speaks truth about his physical condition due to the magic he had used since beginning the spell earlier, since the fight with Hawkgirl, and just now against the Icthultu.

"What is going on here? What was that thing?" quips Superman.

"There's no time," rebukes Aquaman.

Hawkgirl could sense if Superman didn't get a satisfactory explanation that they would be right back where they started less than an hour ago. There is no time to waste if the Icthultu is coming here.

"Make time… or are you scared because there's no water in here?" hisses Wonder Woman.

For once in a long while, she felt like she were the only one not looking to a pick fight. She is already beginning to work out what is going on here and why she should really consider preventing a second pointless round of fighting because one side doesn't want to answer and the other is not okay with silence in this situation. Somebody had to say or do something before this gets out of hand again. She contemplates offering her people's history with the Icthultu, but Fate metaphorically beats her 'to the punch'.

"We are not going to fight again, are we?" remarks Hawkgirl.

Her expression is truly deadpan though she had no way to register Fate's expression, but she hopes he realizes what she realizes about this standoff between them.

"No, we aren't. I'll show you what you wish to know," assures Fate.

Fate summons images of the past, of some long ago civilization, presumably on Earth.

"Pretty," says Grundy.

"Where is that?" questions Superman.

"It's Atlantis, thousands of years before it sank beneath the waves," confesses Aquaman.

No wonder he is no mood to talk wagers Hawkgirl to herself. His city is underwater because of whatever happened thousands of years ago. It is down there because of what went on between the Atlanteans and the Icthultu.

"In those days, Atlantis was ruled by sorcerer kings," continues Aquaman.

"And fortunately so, for Atlantis, along with most of the ancient world, found itself under attack by extradimensional beings called 'The Old Ones'," adds Fate.

The sea creatures that appear outside the past Atlantis looks identical to the one Hawkgirl recalls having fought earlier tonight, which meant they were again sending their agents to prepare the way.

"The Old Ones nearly destroyed humanity as they prepared the way for the most powerful of their number, the Great Icthultu," says Fate.

"But King Poseidon gambled that they could be stopped," says Aquaman proudly.

"He gathered nearly all of the ambient mystical energy on Earth, and then forged it into a single weapon. The Power of the Trident served to banish the Old Ones from our realm," reveals Fate.

The five watch as the Trident appears to disintegrate the creatures entirely though in reality they merely were sent away from Earth by way of the weapon's power. Next Poseidon takes aim at the Icthultu, which also vanishes from the sky. Then the rumbling begins for a different cause, Atlantis would know learn the cardinal rule of both magic and mystic, that there is always a price.

"But the price was high. Poseidon knew that same mystic energy he used to defeat the Old Ones also powered the spells that prevented Atlantis from sinking beneath the ocean. He saved the world, but doomed Atlantis to rest forever at the bottom of the sea," acknowledges Aquaman.

The cloud dispels as the tale turns back to Fate.

"Now the Old Ones seek to return to our world. Already, fissures have appeared, allowing creatures from their world to gain entrance into ours," finishes Fate.

"When you interrupted, we were helping Fate cast a spell to bar their way," sighs Aquaman loudly.

"And now we must complete the ceremony," recommends Fate.

"I won't let you torture Grundy again," rebukes Wonder Woman.

At least Aquaman's insults had soften up a little. Perhaps he sees that Hawkgirl begins to understand his position, a direct royal ancestor of his made a great sacrifice to save his city and by extension the world. It is unlikely that many on Earth know of this act. Some times doing the right thing means almost no one will know what one did to do the right thing. Atlantis' King Poseidon had done that. She felt low for getting in their way because not all battles are won by armies, some are fought by few who prefer to act than to do nothing or waste time explaining the situation to those who barely even grasp the situation.

"It's not exactly torture, Diana. More like… _sacrifice_," admits Hawkgirl.

"How do you know so much about this?" asks Superman suspiciously.

"My people once worshiped the Icthultu," confesses Hawkgirl.

Thanagarians were once religious, but they are no longer. They made that decision long ago.

"The Old Ones are evil not bound by your understanding of geography," reminds Fate.

Hawkgirl suddenly finds that she feels closer to Fate, Aquaman, even Grundy than she does to Superman or Wonder Woman. They simply did what they thought right because no one else would or could as well as just doing it without the needless talking though it made sense to humor those who know let alone grasp so little about extra-dimensional evils.

"In return for his favors, my ancestors made offerings to him," states Hawkgirl.

"I can't believe anyone would cooperate with that… _thing_," remarks Aquaman.

"It was thousands of years ago. We were still a primitive culture," replies Hawkgirl.

"With your knowledge, perhaps you can help with the ceremony," suggest Fate.

"Forget the ceremony," retorts Superman.

Hawkgirl felt her face twitch slightly when hearing Superman's rebuttal to Fate's suggestion. She felt like the more either Superman or Wonder Woman heard the less they liked what Fate and the others were attempting to do before the League upset their mission.

"We are not sacrificing Grundy or anyone else." declares Superman.

"Grundy volunteered," vows Aquaman.

"I'm not sure he's competent to volunteer," says Superman.

It took much on Aquaman's part not to strike Superman for insulting Grundy's promise.

"Does he even understand what you're asking of him?" quips Superman.

For someone with super hearing, Superman acts like a deaf man at times, not to lay low what good he has done, but even he cannot always separate what he would do from what someone else like Grundy would do in the same situation, it is Grundy's decision after all.

"Grundy understands. Grundy helps Magician, and then Magician help Grundy," responds Grundy.

Grundy says his vow more than once already and only it appears that few have really heard what he means by it. Two so far are standing across from Grundy, they know his promise – vow – word are all the same especially Fate for he had seen into Grundy's mind before.

"I agree with Superman," interjects Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman's Amazon upbringings reach back to ancient history as well as yet where Hawkgirl comes from a world that had given up on faith, religion, theology, even Gods. Wonder Woman is still firmly entrenched in hers unwilling to consider sacrifice. The League quite regularly by way of Superman or Wonder Woman often sent Grundy back to prison, back to a cell that neither of them ever saw for very long, they treat him like a criminal, which he has been in the past. Now he is trying to do something right, something heroic, but of course because it means sacrifice then no, that cannot be done, they take the decision from him.

It made Hawkgirl actually angry at them and she could imagine Grundy is not that happy about others deciding what he can or cannot do with himself. She ceases to see him as a villain when made aware of his part in this ceremony, he looks so different from the rest of them, but that doesn't mean he is any less of a person than they are at least not to her, especially not to Aquaman, Fate, or even Inza. Hawkgirl stands with them and not the League on the matter of Grundy's decision.

"There has to be another way," insists Wonder Woman.

It is probably the first time in she found herself really disagreeing with those she thought of as her friends, but then maybe there might be another way.

"There is, we go to Icthultu's world and kick his slimy –"offers Hawkgirl.

"Birdnose is right. Fight, not hide," chuckles Grundy.

"No, we should stick to our original plan," implores Aquaman.

"This may be better. It is more likely to work than simply recasting a broken spell," comments Fate.

"It's a fool's errand. I joined with you to protect Atlantis," admonishes Aquaman.

"And the rest of the world be hanged?" says Fate.

Aquaman walks over to the Trident as Fate implores him to remain for they need the power of Trident still.

"So do my people. My place is with them," asserts Aquaman.

Fate knows there's no use trying to dissuade him especially not after the king has spoken so he casts a portal to send the king back to his city.

"Inza I must ask you –," begins Fate.

"To remain here as your anchor so you can find your way back," finishes Inza.

It is clear that they are partners now to Hawkgirl for she even manages to finishes his sentences occasionally only lovers and partners do that to each other.

"Prepare yourselves," commands Fate.

There is not even time to blink for Fate teleports himself, Grundy, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, and Superman to Icthultu's home dimension in mere seconds or perhaps less.

* * *

The Icthultu home dimension defies everything though like Grundy much seems to surprise her tonight. It is without anything coherently recognizable to the home dimension they just left. All the lore her people had on their forsaken 'gods' was proving to be sinisterly true with each passing moment. This 'sky'- that 'land' - the 'air' is simultaneously familiar and foreign.

"I always thought it was a fable to scare children," exclaims Hawkgirl.

"I'll take point," says Superman.

"No! Keep down!" snaps Fate.

The Magician reels the Kryptonian back down with a touch of magic though not enough to harm the latter.

"What did you do that for?" exclaims Superman.

"In this realm, ground and sky are not always parallel. If we are separated, you could become hopelessly lost," warns Fate.

Fate takes the lead. She briefly looks at Superman without a word then continues behind Fate. It is transparent to her that Superman's preference towards being the point man, the leader, will have to take a backseat to Fate's expertise. The usual roles would not work here, not for any of them because here magic and mystic are more powerful than anything given to Superman by biology or to Wonder Woman by way of her supernaturally empowered armor.

* * *

Aquaman reappears in his royal throne room where Mera had been patiently waiting for his return.

"I'm glad to see you safe," admits Mera.

"And I you my love," sighs Aquaman.

His voice deep yet warm is quite a switch from the ones he had been using all evening towards those he thought he could align with on the surface in order to preserve his kingdom from the Old Ones and their master Icthultu.

"Assemble my war council. Atlantis is in grave danger," orders Aquaman.

Their tranquil embrace must end for now is not the time to enjoy the company of his unquestionably loving wife, no now is the time to prepare their people for another battle against the ones that led to their city ending up beneath the waves.

"Attack from the surface world?" asks Mera.

"Not this time, but our enemies must be very near indeed," assures Aquaman.

"You have heard reports from our sentries," suggests Mera.

"No. It's the creatures of the seas. Mera, I can't hear their thoughts. They're gone," confesses Aquaman.

Outside another rupture of a fissure appears very close to the center of the city and out pour dozens of the Old Ones sent to destroy Atlantis no doubt.

"You can't mean that they are coming do you?" murmurs Mera.

"Yes, they are coming like they did when Poseidon was King," replies Aquaman.

* * *

"I still don't see how your people could have fallen under the sway of a creature like Icthultu," comments Superman.

"Thanagar was a harsh world in those days. Icthultu gave us agriculture, mathematics, philosophy. The foundations of our entire culture," responds Hawkgirl.

"But something changed?" bets Superman.

Something did change as Hawkgirl and every other Thanagarian since then has known.

"You stopped believing him," says Wonder Woman.

"Yes," acknowledges Hawkgirl.

They were starting to grasp now after having come this far though she had to wonder if offering a halfway measure between sacrifice and war would lead to a better outcome. Only seeing this through would answer that question among others. She would be the first Thanagarian in centuries to go face to face with their forsaken 'god'.

"Modern Thanagarians bow down to no higher power," assures Hawkgirl.

The things Thanagar did to itself in exchange for their 'foundations' are unspeakable least of all the sacrifices made by parents, by children, by siblings, by partners, by rivals, by every Thanagarian that lived and died under the power of Icthultu. Never again would her people be enslaved in such a way because to do so would be worse than anything imaginable. She had told them more about herself and Thanagar in one night than she had said in the past few years. It was strangely liberating yet there were still some secrets she could not share with them and those are gnawing at her insides just like they always did. Oaths and promises are easily made though not easily broken so she would have to live with some of them.

Two of them she hopes will never be tested, but somehow she fears they will be in time, it is not a matter of it. It is a matter of when she will face those trials.

"I sense we are very near our goal," interrupts Fate.

The 'walls' and the 'ground' erupt as humanoid size Old Ones emerge to attack. Icthultu knows they are coming, 'he' may not be omnipotent, but has eyes all over this dimension. In the palms of what passes for 'their hands' are 'mouths' that start screeching and screaming the moment they open up. The backwash tears up the 'ground' beneath yet Fate summons a barrier to protect them from the blast. More join in intensifying the effect, which starts to whittle away at Fate's barrier rapidly. Hands rip through the ground to grab Fate by the ankles next and as he goes down so does the barrier.

However Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman together pull him back up against the tug of the 'hands'. The backwash's effects worsen without Fate's barrier to protect them. Superman is thrown backwards and collides with Hawkgirl. She flips over losing the grip on her mace and one of the Old Ones 'Howlers' steps on her mace, which prevents her from lifting it. 'It' is about to unleash the 'scream' on her yet Grundy from nowhere literally rips her attacker in half without so much as a blink.

"Grundy hates stupid screaming man," utters Grundy.

Hawkgirl finds herself snickering at what he just said despite the fact if not for him she might not be alive to laugh at his unintended humor even though it probably is not meant to be funny though in the moment she finds it to be so.

Fate's mystical projectiles rip through a whole wave of 'screaming men'. Grundy leaps up to the 'high ground' above the fight. Hawkgirl goes to join the others advancing through the 'low ground'. A boulder lands on the 'screamers' in front of her crushing them into 'dust'. She sees that it was thrown by Grundy, she is again at a loss for words, but overly glad for Grundy as backup, he is well on his way to becoming her friend.

Her surprise look morphs into a slight smile.

Then more 'screamers' rip through the 'high ground' in an attempt to surround Grundy.

"Grundy knows how he can crush lots of screaming men," chuckles Grundy.

He raises his massive fists then slams them down faster than he brought them into the air. His fist smash shatters the 'high ground' and collapses the archway beneath it. The whole thing caves beneath him while crushing 'lots of screaming men'. He falls along with his dusted enemies yet as he drops Hawkgirl dives after him. She is glad that she caught him despite the strain of his weight on her wings. He had just down another impressive feat in her eyes and she is not willing to let her new friend die this way. She'll flap how hard she must to get him back to the unbroken 'ground' above them.

"Birdnose help Grundy?" asks Grundy in surprise.

His confusion fits how the others treat him, maybe even how she might have until now, but not anymore.

"But Birdnose and her friends hate Grundy," declares Grundy.

She wouldn't say she hated him, she just didn't like the disorder than his 'associates' brought with him around though maybe they were the only people who didn't hate him though they did use him perhaps. Maybe all he wanted was someone to listen, to care, to want something other from him than what his body could offer to them, she cease to see him as she had before, he is more than what he appears to be.

"Grundy help Birdnose. Birdnose help Grundy, okay?" replies Hawkgirl.

His usual rock solid grimness softens as if she could almost see a smile on the dead man's face. There is almost something endearing about it. Something childlike and wonderful about him even though he had abilities well beyond that of what supposedly passes for an 'ordinary' human. To her, he just happens to be a dead man with supernatural abilities, to her, he had helped her and now she had done the same, maybe it really is that simple she thinks to herself.

"Excuse me, Hawkgirl smash," cracks Hawkgirl.

She feels herself smiling as she had somehow picked up a Grundy mannerism.

Her mace shatters the 'screamers' just as easily as Grundy's fists, which meant they draw their magic and mystical disrupting properties from a similar source maybe. Wonder Woman's lasso also appears to have some effect on them too. Superman smashes through several and Fate's attacks shred more too.

"Everyone okay?" asks Superman.

"OK," answers Grundy.

"Fine," responds Hawkgirl.

"I am unharmed," adds Fate.

"Let's get on with this," suggests Hawkgirl.

* * *

The Atlantean Armada assembles just outside the city once the barriers are active. The Old Ones forces are approaching rapidly. If this is to be Atlantis' true end, then Aquaman would not allow it without a fight, but he would prefer to save the city from them.

"For Atlantis!" yells Aquaman.

He quickly realizes only the mystically forged Trident is their only weapon against the Old Ones, but his people fight on with or without a weapon like the Trident. He believes he made the right decision in returning here even when he did not believe Fate's new plan would be successful yet he starts to pray that it will be because he has no desire to see his kingdom in ruins for the sake of its survival. He prefers it intact, but he might not get that though he hopes otherwise.

_Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. Isn't that what Batman said to me after we met last year? I guess I will have to trust in your faith in your teammates because mine is sinking like my warships.

* * *

_

"Let me ask you something. Do you really gain strength when you call on your Gods?" asks Hawkgirl.

This journey has slowly become one of faith. It starts with Grundy in his search of his lost soul. Next it turns to Aquaman as he saw his hand, his kingdom, his son as one unbreakable element worth risking all to protect, to preserve, and bring forward to a day when they honor Poseidon's sacrifice. After him it is Doctor Fate both in meeting the soul seeking Grundy and the disbelieving faith yearning Hawkgirl. Now it is within Hawkgirl herself as she shows that she too seeks the intangible faith if only to draw belief and strength from something more than just her own will of self.

"Of course I do. My beliefs sustain me," responds Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Princess and Champion of the Amazons, had been made then given life by her Gods. The Gods had always been with her though her people had suffered greatly before Themyscira except those the Amazons call Gods are at first glance nothing like the Icthultu, but then Hawkgirl's contrast of the two relies on what she knows of the two. She knows her people's history with Icthultu, and she knows her own history with 'him' because she has atheist views when it comes to so-called supernatural beings. Themyscira and Thanagar are visually opposites in every respect despite the warrior ethos upheld by the two.

"That must be comforting," admits Hawkgirl.

Faith is a foreign yet sought after quality for this sole Thanagarian among billions, who have many kinds of faith. However she feels truly disconnected from all of it because her people's faith in Icthultu had nearly destroyed them. If not for nth metal they would have become another of Icthultu's slave races or worse.

"There are times when faith is all we have to rely upon. I don't know how you can bear the weight all alone," continues Wonder Woman.

Hawkgirl wonders that herself quite frequently though she never had truly made the self-admission until tonight. Tonight she realizes just how alone and small she feels except with Grundy, with Fate, and even the brusque Aquaman who shares quite a few personality traits in common with Batman at least to her.

"Great Hera," says Wonder Woman.

More Old Ones are flooding through an opening 'above' them.

"What is that?" asks Hawkgirl.

"The breach between this dimension and our own – my spell weakens. It is only a matter of time before it fails altogether," answers Fate.

"Then we must stop them here," implores Superman.

"Not all of us. You and Wonder Woman halt their advance," recommends Fate.

Hawkgirl had a feeling that this could be where they divide because only Fate, she, and Grundy had the strongest effect on the energies in this dimension.

"The rest of us all will take the battle to Icthultu," concludes Fate.

Fate summons a walkway for Superman and Wonder Woman then tells them to mind it.

* * *

The Atlantean defense cordon is crumbling so Aquaman telepathically summons the predators of the seas to aid his crumbling position and together they ravage the Old Ones coming through the widening breach. Time is running short he knows that much, he hopes that Fate's party makes it to the demon in time to kill it once and for all as nothing else will stop them so long as the head lives to direct the host. However he is soon overtaken by a swarm of them yet he still holds the Trident now it would be his livelihood more than ever before.

* * *

The trio of Fate, Grundy, and Hawkgirl slow at the gesture of Fate's hand.

"Magician why we stop?" wonders Grundy.

Hawkgirl wonders that herself though they would have a floating example before them soon.

"He's here. I feel him," alerts Fate.

"Where?" snaps Hawkgirl.

Her mace is charging by way of her concentration to electrify it.

"I'm not sure. Everywhere," gasps Fate.

The 'floating' mass that is their enemy 'descends' towards them.

"Be on your guard," warns Fate.

"_**Speak not until spoken to, dust molt,"**_ orders Icthultu.

"Okay, that was rude," snaps Hawkgirl.

"_**Wind molt, who are you?"**_ demands Icthultu.

She smirks thinking _not so all knowing after all are you?_

"Shayera Hol, Hawkgirl," answers Hawkgirl.

"_**You have the stench of Thanagarians upon you,"**_ sneers Icthultu.

"Says the giant squid," cracks Hawkgirl.

"_**Definitely Thanagarian - I will speak to the Hawkgirl before I destroy her. You others hold no interest,"**_ snorts Icthultu.

A different variety of Old Ones shoots up from the ground to attack Fate and Grundy. They ooze strange liquids, which elicits a rather disgusted yet humorous remark from Grundy.

"Grundy crush stupid pimple man," avows Grundy.

Hawkgirl holds back a laugh upon hearing this. She finds his battle cries to be almost as funny Flash's wisecracks. When Grundy goes to strike its' 'mouth' bites him and Hawkgirl goes to assist except Icthultu's tentacles bind her up once she is in flight then reels her back towards 'him'. Grundy realizes a split second too late that she is about to be ensnared so when he cries out to alert his attacker renews his assault.

* * *

Superman and Wonder Woman continue to hold the line at the breach from this side. It is starting to wear them down as their numbers keep coming and Superman's vulnerability to magical/mystical is being exploited to the fullest. He however burns them with heat vision then offers to put it out, which blows them away. However they know the real challenge rests with the three who went head to fight the true enemy alone.

* * *

"_**Speak to me – child of Thanagar,"**_ orders Icthultu.

"Nothing to say – I have got a gesture for you, but my hands are tied," snips Hawkgirl.

"_**How I have missed your people's spirit,"**_chuckles Icthultu.

"We don't miss you. We outgrew you thousands of years ago," proclaims Hawkgirl.

"_**I gave your people everything. Why did you forsake me?"**_ demands Icthultu.

"Forsake? We threw you out. The price for your favors was too high," hisses Hawkgirl.

"_**My tribute was equitable. I earned your faith," **_insists Icthultu.

"Really – What's a fair price for the souls of my ancestors?" quips Hawkgirl.

Down below Grundy at the words 'price for the souls' tears his attacker in two.

"Snake Face steals souls?" grunts Grundy.

He looks 'up' and prepares to launch him 'up'.

"Give Grundy back his soul Snake Face, or Grundy crush! You hear Grundy? Give it back" yells Grundy.

His first leap takes him to a floating 'rock' then he leaps again to another 'rock', which floats him further up. Hawkgirl looks over her shoulder to see him ascending pass her. She felt warm, she couldn't explain it, she felt almost sure that her life would end here and keep her from the true mission she can tell no one about because of her oath. Now Grundy just might save her life, she didn't know how to feel, half ashamed and half proud maybe, but one thing is certain Grundy would not live in fear of what might be and neither could she because of him.

He jumps off it and lands atop the 'Snake Face' then starts slamming away at its 'skin', which bleeds the same dark green ooze like every other thing in this place. It is immortal perhaps, but not invincible because Grundy has the power to harm Icthultu.

"Where's Grundy's soul Snake Face? Tell Grundy. Tell Grundy or Grundy will crush!"

The skin gives way dropping Grundy 'inside' Icthultu.

* * *

Back at the breach, the Old Ones are retreating with Aquaman in pursuit and his Trident tearing them to shreds.

"I believe I can seal the breach with the Trident, but I need something to plug the hole," assures Aquaman.

Together Superman and Wonder Woman push an enormous boulder towards the breach yet Aquaman immediately must dive out of the way as it will shatter the 'rock' he stands upon so Wonder Woman catches him on the way 'down'. She brings him level with the boulder now lodged in the breach then he blasts it with the Trident which melts it into place with a mystical seal that should hopefully seal the breach indefinitely.

The tide of battle is changing, the true enemy is in danger of losing, and its underlings are drawn to their master's call for assistance. It also means the trio here would have to rush to back up the others for even a wounded enemy is still a dangerous one.

* * *

Fate is about to be taken down except the timely of the trio arriving from the sealed breach diverts the attack to them. It is again Aquaman's tendency to quick thinking and striking that ends the latest attack on Fate as Aquaman's left hand harpoon kills the creature. Fate flies up and directs a magical strike at what remains of his attack after the arms had broken off to harm him seconds ago. The magic incinerates it.

* * *

Grundy continues his rampage within the Icthultu. He is doing irreparable damage as it appears he had found the nerve center of 'Snake Face'. He is pulling and punching like mad. Icthultu is howling in pain outside, now the soul 'stealer' knows how Grundy feels thinks Grundy. He rips away one nerve stem after another, the green ooze continues to flow, and now something comes out to attack at him yet it is different from everything else.

Two of them latch onto him immediately. He breaks the one on his right arm, the other latches to his leg, but a third lands on his back. He always had a hard time reaching back there and now it is a vulnerable attack spot that 'Snake Face' is using. 'It' stings him upon landing on his back. The sting hurt though not as much as the pain of all which he had forgotten until tonight. He hears himself scream though it is proof that he must be getting closer to getting his soul back, it must be he insists to himself, he need only crush 'Snake Face' and he would have his soul because he would fulfill his promise to Magician.

He would have also help save Birdnose.

He rips the stinger off and smashes it into a puddle of ooze.

"Grundy must be close for Snake Face to fight so hard," groans Grundy.

He runs towards the glowing light ahead and before him appears a massive black head with sharp teeth. It then breathes 'fire' that burns like stupid soldiers' new tanks.

"Big ugly monster thing won't stop Grundy."

'Monster' buries him with a fist like the rockets from stupid soldiers' guns. It then picks him up with its claw and he is now closer to its head. He however snaps off part of the claw and starts stabbing it with its own claw perhaps the only thing tough enough to pierce its skin. It grunts in pain as it starts to succumb to the blows and finally topples over with Grundy right beneath it on the way down. Together they hit the ground hard with it atop him. The monster is slain, but the task is not done yet, there is still the glowing light beyond the massive puddle of the monster's blood.

Grundy can no longer feel his limbs, his strength is fading and so is the pain. The promise remains unfulfilled he must keep going for the Magician, for Birdnose, and for his soul.

"Grundy," gasps Hawkgirl.

She descends to his position to find her brave friend mortally wounded even for a dead man.

"Grundy can't move. Birdnose get Grundy's soul for him?"

"Rest, I'll finish what you started," promises Hawkgirl.

She positions herself for an attack run to kill the Icthultu.

"_**You will do not do this thing, Shayera Hol of Thanagar. Icthultu still has faith in you."**_

"So do I," admits Hawkgirl.

She dives charging her mace as she goes and delivers the killing blow for Grundy. The explosion from the hit throws her backwards and the glowing light starts to fade rapidly. She gets to her feet in time to hear Grundy call out to her again.

"Birdnose?" whimpers Grundy.

"I'm here," assures Hawkgirl.

"Ahh… Grundy thinks he is going away now," murmurs Grundy.

He looks eerily calm to her eyes, but she had never seen anyone die before because unlike many Thanagarians she had rarely seen battlefield deaths. It is unfamiliar to her. She had seen others hurt, even badly, but never death, once she thought John Stewart had died when they went back to reset the time line after Savage had altered it so that the other side won Earth's Second World War. He had not yet at the time she had clung tightly to triage and battlefield camaraderie especially because of the Blackhawks, shining examples of men who lost everything dear to them except their lives.

They swore to fight on until they could return to their home lands something she found to be heart warming as well as deeply inspiriting yet once more someone not of the Justice League had done just the same.

"No- just hang on," pleads Hawkgirl.

The others are arriving because she hears their foot steps behind her.

He is dying there is no way to ignore what her eyes are telling, why her heart is racing, where her hands tightly hold his and not being able to tell when he will expire only that it is near.

"Do you think Grundy's soul is waiting for him?" asks Grundy.

She didn't know how to answer him. She thought she had lost her faith in such things long ago yet why she had spoken about price of souls to Icthultu before. She did not know except to remind him why she felt she by extension that Thanagar would never need someone like him again. This is true yet her people still yearn for faith even though they would never admit, they built a new belief system around being warriors who fought for their home land against all enemies of it yet here far from all things Thanagar she wonders if they could ever be more than just warriors – than soldiers.

"Grundy I don't believe – "

She saw his expecting smile, she could not deny him his need of peace in death or the belief that he find his soul on his next journey beyond this place where his body perhaps could finally die ending the curse's suffering within him.

Her eyes felt so wet, tears stream down from beneath her headdress, she rarely been one for tears, but she could not refrain from them. She felt so alive, so connected to him, that she did not want him to go, but she knows he will - he has to, because that's where his faith is taking him. She leans closer to him to almost whisper the affirmation that he needs to hear – that he needs to believe in for his soul.

"Yes, it's waiting for you," promises Hawkgirl.

"Then Grundy gets his reward," exhales Grundy.

His thick eyelids flutter shut and she bows her head sobbing almost uncontrollably upon his hardened skin, she would miss him deeply. He made her laugh, he brought her smiles, he had shown her friendship, and he left her with questions she had been avoiding for years simply because she not want to try to answer though now she had to if she is to find her way again.

The four move towards her and Grundy then Fate links to Inza so they could return to Fate's Tower. Grundy would be given the hero's wake that he so decidedly earned tonight though it could wait until morning because his heartbroken friend deserves her rest. She had earned that too in the eyes of Fate, Inza, Diana, Kal-El, and even the abrasive Aquaman.

* * *

It is a beautiful morning to offset the saddened atmosphere that had come back with them to the Tower late last night. The five of them including Inza gather before Solomon Grundy's head stone.

"I tried to do this according to human customs," says Hawkgirl.

"You honor his memory," assures Wonder Woman.

"He was happy at the end. I still don't understand why," concedes Hawkgirl.

"It's faith, Hawkgirl. You're not supposed to understand it. You just have it," remarks Aquaman.

He holds his right hand to his chest near his heart, tilts his head as a sign of respect, and then starts to slowly walk away. He would soon have to return to Atlantis to help assist in the recovery despite the success of Fate's mission to slay their common foe.

Superman would report the fate of Solomon Grundy to the military. Wonder Woman would log this unofficial mission to the Watchtower files. Fate and Inza would return to the Tower.

Hawkgirl would remain a while near Solomon's grave. She wants to feel close to her faithful friend. It no longer amazes her how much she had come to depend on, even need him in such a short span, but she would owe much of how she felt last night to Solomon. She hopes he knows that wherever he has gone to be with his soul, she wants to believe that.

* * *

A/N 1: Based on _**The Terror Beyond**_ (Part II). Dialogue from episode. This chapter is centered more on Hawkgirl, her bond with Grundy, and ultimately Grundy's death.

A/N 2: As with most stories I base on actual episodes, I was watching it again as I wrote. I find it helps me capture the intensity I feel about the episode as I watch it. I actually was crying some as I wrote my spin Grundy's death scene.

A/N 3: If it appears like I'm railing on Superman or Wonder Woman, it is more of a conflict of interpretations between characters especially in regards to Grundy. I found it be slightly demeaning that they can't accept or respect Grundy's decision simply because they think he doesn't understand what he is doing with Fate and Aquaman.

A/N 4: Grundy is more than he appears to be is my belief about him. It is this more to him that influences what Hawkgirl comes to believe and feel about him


	3. Parts

It is exceeding rare for the seven of them to be working the same mission and typically when all seven together the problems are that much greater at least that has been her observation based on past experiences.

Batman thought it necessary for all of them to be in Washington, D.C. for the International Peace Summit. Hawkgirl didn't see Superman, but had no doubt he is right in the thick of things. Batman however is outside within visual range of the security checkpoints outside the building where the summit is to be held once all the parties invited are on the scene. She and the others are left to patrol the nearby surroundings.

"_Delegates from Kaznia are just arriving,"_ informs Batman.

He had been alerting them to arrivals for hours. It is starting look as if this mission is a waste of time.

"_Any sign of trouble?" _queries Batman.

Wonder Woman is on patrol in the vicinity of the Washington Monument. The walkways below are devoid of activity for all intents purposes it is a dull yet beautiful night in D.C.

"_Nothing here,"_ responds Diana.

Flash grinds to a halt on the White House front lawn. The rose garden is just a short distance behind him. The President and many from his staff are attending the summit so it is a very low key evening at the Presidential Residence.

"_Zilch – There is not even a sleazy politician. Are you sure we need to be here?"_ reports Flash.

"_According to my sources… terrorists have targeted this international peace summit," _replies Batman.

It didn't take too much guessing to figure out whom one of Batman's sources is, but she had chosen to often leave that alone because she had come to understand why some of the Leaguers took solace in having an out-of-costume life. There is a woman behind Hawkgirl, but she had to stop being that woman five years ago though even since joining the League it has grown increasingly harder to ignore the woman she used or the woman she wants to be now. John had been exceedingly forward with her after Vegas though she had to admit to herself losing him would have hurt more in a way different than losing Solomon had done to her.

"_They would have to do it during the playoffs," _snorts Flash.

"_What if these terrorists are already inside?"_ interjects J'onn.

"_I've got that covered,"_ assures Batman.

* * *

His inside man is Clark Kent who either by chance or fortune happen to be chosen for this assignment over rival/partner Lois Lane, undoubtedly she would give Clark hell over 'losing' this assignment to him. She'd get over if she loves him as much as Shayera suspects she does, but what woman could fail to notice the obvious written all over them except she is more often seen in the company of Superman. As Hawkgirl, Shayera had found many things about her teammates while they continue to know so very little about her. In the beginning convincing herself of the necessity of the deception felt easier, but with each passing year it wears a little thinner so when they finally do learn it her life as she knows will be over.

It feels inevitable, but that won't stop her from enjoying however little time she left until her expected ending happens along to unchain from the confusion that this deception has brought to her. She stopped believing in recent years because she no longer trusts herself. There is no way to doubt that she is untrue even with all the 'lies' she has told her friends or more recently to her lover John.

One of the simple joys she had found worth indulging over the last five years was to fly as often she wants because there is always something tranquil to her about flying. She can often ride the winds without doing much flapping at least when the wind grants such opportunities. She can smell John sneaking up on her as he does after all this time have a distinct scent separate from the other men on team, but sometimes it was written that Thanagarians once made partnerships based on scent. It is an archaic practice, but some manner of it still exists if only to show that lovers, that partners 'know' each by the other's smell.

"Hey there," says Hawkgirl.

"Hey yourself," replies John.

"Aren't you supposed to be patrolling the north end?" continues Hawkgirl.

"I thought I saw trouble over here," admits John.

"There's no trouble," assures Hawkgirl.

She already realizes he is acting quite flirtatious around her ever since they slept together for the first time. Her body had practically forgotten just how good it felt to connect with another in that way. It made her quite warm to be around him even now, but that is another thing to worry about because of things she keeps even from him.

"Sure there is. And I'm looking right at it," remarks John.

He quickly pecks her on the lips before falling into flying formation next to her again.

"You're bad," teases Hawkgirl.

"You should know," chuckles John.

"And you should get back to work," reminds Hawkgirl.

More than once she felt a certain sign of love to be how often two people finish each other's sentences, it felt right to be doing it with John because she loves him despite or in spite of what he does not know about her yet. His behavior towards her is positive to change once he knows what she has told no one.

"After we're done, let's get some take-out… from that Chinese place near your apartment," suggests Hawkgirl.

He looks agreeably except he clearly does not share her palate when it comes to dining, but such things she could live with given how many secrets she keeps, a difference in eating preferences seems minor when stacked against withheld information.

"Great, but this time, no eel heads," implores John.

As he zips back to his patrol sector she calls him a lightweight, but she meant it teasingly or at least she thought so. Often she heard it said that trust is the foundation of any kind of relationship, but the others' trust in her is really more like what they believed based on what little she has told them. Her arrival on Earth was an 'accident', she was 'pursuing criminals', and her cause for the 'pursuit' is that back on Thanagar she is a 'law officer'. Her actions and behavior over the past five years has done very little to discount this interpretation of her, which meant her military training is consistently paying off.

* * *

"_G.L. report,"_ demands Batman.

The profile is unmistakable to her even at this distance, which meant this would get messy soon. She quickly moves to join up with John and Diana as the massive vessel fires away at the interceptors sent to shoot it down. The interceptors are getting torn to shreds by the pulse weaponry.

"Not exactly your garden-variety terrorists," responds John.

"It's a Gordanian Class-7 Cruiser," adds Hawkgirl.

"It is a what?" exclaims John.

"Watch out for the plasma cannons!" shouts Hawkgirl.

The first of the new volley hits John and Diana point blank flinging them backwards towards the ground at high speed, but Flash bolts towards where he figures they'll land and starts running in a circle to slow them down once they get closer to his running circle. The next shot almost hits Batman, but seeing the shot ahead of time enables him to avoid what happen to the others. The third shot hits the upper floor of the building being used for the summit. No doubt a panicky evacuation is already underway and Superman would join the League against the Gordanian cruiser.

Hawkgirl swerves about dodging their shots as she dives lower. She sees J'onn and Superman flying up to join her.

"I'll draw their fire," states Hawkgirl.

As she moves into position, Superman mentions something about taking out the rear stabilizers, but she realizes too late to effectively warn them off form doing it so as they fall fast she dives after them. She carries their limp forms towards Flash and the others just as Batman is racing down to join them. She felt certain they are no match for the cruiser even with all that she knows about Gordanian technology. As Hawkgirl contemplates what to tell them next, an orange beam rips through the hull of the Gordanian cruiser at angle effectively crippling it so falls like a stone while also plowing its way along the Washington Mall walkways.

Next an enormous shadow blocks out even the moon tonight. She never felt happier to see this particular design in her life and she already knows whose ship it is as well.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," quips Superman.

"No, wait," implores Hawkgirl.

A single smaller vessel rapidly descends from the underside of the enormous vessel hanging over their position. The seven of them move quickly towards its landing spot and a ramp lowers from the backside before someone walks down the same ramp. Others follow in the first one's wake, all wearing similar looking armor. She feels her smiling at the sight of so many Thanagarians especially the sight of the tallest among.

"Do you know these guys?" queries Flash.

"Yes," answers Hawkgirl.

She briefly uses her wings to help her close the distance between herself and the tall male Thanagarian.

"Welcome to Earth Commander," says Hawkgirl.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Care to tell us what exactly is going on here?" interjects Green Lantern.

She found herself once more standing with a different crowd looking at her teammates through different eyes even John for that matter, but maybe her military training was kicking in more than she expected at this 'reunion' with her people.

"This is Commander Hro Talak of Thanagar," responds Hawkgirl.

"Save the introductions for later," suggests Talak.

She really is acting military again because she didn't interrupt once he had given the informal suggestive order.

"I must meet with your world leaders. The fate of this planet may hang in the balance."

Her six teammates look between themselves before conceding to at least have Talak makes his case to the leaders and let them decide on whether to accept what Talak is offering as well as telling them.

* * *

"Friends, we are here on a mission of great urgency. Five years ago, we sent an advance agent to Earth… to learn more about your people and to study your defenses. That agent was Lieutenant Shayera Hol… better known to you as Hawkgirl," informs Talak.

The world leaders were quick to reconvene upon hearing of Talak's request and now they along with her teammates now know why she was originally sent her. She was more looking at them than anyone else in the room as their reactions to this revelation matter more than she thought possible though she had been dreading how her true story would become known to them. Talak's opening statement took the steps and the words out of her body as well as her mind.

"Unfortunately, she discovered that Earth's defenses are sorely lacking."

It is not her place to publicly disagree with Talak even though what he is saying definitely more his interpretation than hers, but of course chain of command holds her tongue.

"With your limited technology… you are totally unprepared for what is about to come…"

In the palm of Talak's armored glove rests an orb. He activates it revealing a recording taken from one of many battles between the Gordanians and the Thanagarians.

"They are the greatest evil in the universe. They are our mortal enemies, the Gordanians."

It is the first time she had seen such carnage since the time she and the League went back to restore the historical outcome of Earth's Second World War.

"For generations, we on Thanagar have been locked… in a bloody war with these monsters."

At one point of flurry images shifts to a night time engagement, but given the darkness it is almost impossible to distinguish a Gordanian from a Thanagarian unless one is staring hard enough at the outline of the two species battling under a moonless sky.

Soon appear vessels similar the one that crash landed not far from this assembly chamber, which was still burning until a short time ago. The fires were put out to prevent it from spreading beyond the crash site. The devastation, the destruction is beyond imagination for many here in this room, but not all, some of Earth will recall the savage wars of the past while Thanagarians will recall the on-off wars with the Gordanians.

"Across the cosmos, they have committed unspeakable atrocities… decimating world upon world. And now, they are coming here. This will be the fate of Earth unless you accept our help," assures Talak.

The representatives start chattering back and forth among themselves though the six on high stand in silence.

"I know you'll need to discuss this amongst yourselves, but be quick about it. We are only your hope for salvation," concludes Talak.

* * *

She did manage to slip away from Hro knowing that John definitely had much to say to her and she never did duck from a fight even a verbal one.

"All this time, why didn't you tell me?" snaps John.

"John, there were so many times I wanted to," responds Shayera.

"But?" continues John.

_You'll always have that John, you know me I never go halfway when I am trying to tell you something. I either do or I don't, there is no other way with me._

"This was a military mission. I'd sworn an oath of secrecy and I couldn't tell anyone. Sorry, but not even you," adds Shayera.

For once she felt glad to have this headdress on so it could hide the fact that her eyes would give away the pleading look of seeking forgiveness. She couldn't stomach asking that from him because he is the more honest of the two of them, but also more the argumentative too. She would simply have to go on the defensive again like she usually does when people get too close to trap her somehow.

"You're a soldier. I'd think you would understand," says Shayera.

"So what else aren't you telling me?" demands John.

He is angry, hurt, upset – all manner of emotions that he probably attributes to the things she had not told him for the last five years, it is probably bothering him more as they slept together more than once since Vegas. The same intensity that had already given her thrills is now giving her chills because something told her he might behave like this for a long time or maybe it only temporary she only had her relationship with Talak for reference. A relationship that went a lot further than she expected back then and the same had happen again with John.

_He deserves answers at least, even ones about me and Hro, as if concealing about my reason for being on Earth was enough to make him this furious, I don't even want to imagine what learning about me and Hro would do to him, still better I tell him than someone else.  
_

"Well, actually --"starts Shayera.

Hro and Kragger are coming towards them. She can see the pair over John's shoulders.

"Shayera- There you are," calls Talak.

_My timing tonight is terrible, but not nearly as bad as having all these facts about me come out. Confusion abounds as both men I am in love with are standing right next to each other. I really hope there is no…._

"My darling, at last."

He pulls her towards him and kisses her right in front of John. She spots John's look of surprise in corner of her eye. She could also see Kragger's reaction to John's reaction, which made this moment even more awkward and maybe even deadly with Kragger around. Kragger had his ways of advancing through the ranks, but he always had been several steps behind Hro. Hro pulls away from her so he can make the courteous act of introducing himself to John and John would do his best to conceal his surprise at just how close the commander is to the lieutenant.

"Hro Talak."

"John Stewart."

"The Green Lantern – Shayera has told me so much about you."

"Has she?"

She catches his slight glare before John looks back to Hro.

"And you are two are…"

"Hro and I are promised to each other. It's like being engaged."

The lenses in this headdress are coming too in handy right now as she strains to express very little emotion or be caught tearing up in the least.

"Congratulations."

John is still glaring at her, but only she recognizes it since she had seen many different kinds of expressions on his face in the past few years including this one.

"I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

John walks away and she can feel Kragger staring at her. If they weren't in public she would have given him a reminder about why she was always top students in every form of hand-to-hand combat taught to the Thanagarians from childhood onward. Others like Hro tolerate his presence. One thing that initially made this far flung assignment bearable is that it got her away from Kragger. If not for Hro intervening in her first scuffle with Kragger years ago, she might have killed him for the insinuations he made against her and her late mother. Hro had told her that Kragger enjoys irritating people. He collects secrets like other Thanagarians collect scars or trophies. The trio returns to Talak's shuttle and head up to the flagship, which is in station keeping over Washington.

* * *

Kragger goes off to waste time with his usual diversions while Hro takes Shayera back to his personal quarters. It felt odd to see other Thanagarians saluting her all over, but those with more red on their armor are steps behind her in rank for she is an officer where they are merely soldiers who follow the orders of the officers without question. Hro however answers to the Generals and the Council so both have come to a unanimous decision in order to dispatch Talak's command this far from the front lines, but if the Gordanians were coming here than Earth would greatly benefit from Thanagar's experience. It is relieving to see her people had not lost their capacity to see beyond their own need for survival.

"It's not exactly Thanagar's finest, but I tried to make it feel like home," says Hro.

It felt even more relaxing to be walking along a ship built by Thanagarians, to be in the presence of Thanagarians, and more so to be alone with the only Thanagarian she had longed to see again for five years. She does her best to push the images of making love with John out of her mind when now alone with Hro for the first time since his arrival on Earth. She felt herself smile as she catches the scent of a dish she had cravings for on and off for years.

"Hungry?"

"Alon's kidneys, Korschian oysters," murmurs Shayera.

"Don't you like them? I remember they were your favorites," remarks Hro.

Unfortunately the sight brought up conflicting memories of when Hro had first introduced to her the dishes years ago and of the takeout food she had been eating with John in recent weeks even though he didn't have the 'stomach' for her takeout preferences.

"It was very thoughtful," assures Shayera.

There had to be a way to loosen the tension both of them were obviously feeling though not necessarily from the same source, she believes that much to be the case though she no way of knowing how faithful he had been in her absence either. The promise rites only meant that rivals were pursuing the prospect of partnership though distance and time had clearly changed them both as to how much that has yet to reveal itself to both of them.

She quickly scoops up a piece from the dish Hro obviously went to a lot of trouble to prepare for her and keep this fresh after crossing incalculable distances between Earth and Thanagar. It felt almost orgasmic to taste this again after having gone without it for this long. She felt guilty that she was enjoying the food more than the company.

"Awesome," gasps Shayera.

"When was the last time you had this?" comments Hro.

"Plume nectar. I remember. We were on leave together on Aloria," answers Shayera.

She lays her left hand fingers against her face thinking back to when they got drunk together for the first time on Aloria, but in the same moment she also recalls when she took John to the bar on that alien moon. The drink expectedly made him throw up a little and then there was that bar fight, which she technically started herself by hitting the guy sitting next to them at bar with her mace. As a joke she put her mace in John's hand than pointed to John when the big fella turned around looking for his attacker. Of all her time so far living among humans, she still rates that as her favorite holiday experience in the past five years. It felt like home to get drunk and rowdy, but now she felt unsure where home is anymore though yet her thoughts simmer at Hro's hands moving towards her headdress.

Only partners are not denied the allowance to remove the mask and she had let John do it the night they first kissed after John's close call in Vegas.

_He had seen the bomb was going to go off so he used all over his will power to make a ring construct powerful enough to clear her from the blast radius. _

He put her survival ahead of his own, it is then that she knows he would give his life for hers and on Thanagar there are few actions higher than that any Thanagarian can make for another. She had already lost Solomon by his own sacrifice to save her life so she would allow John to die because her heart would not allow another death if she had the means to prevent it.

_She used her mace's electric charge to jump start his heart after all other methods failed to revive and it did work, she felt so relieved that it did because for once in a long while she had managed to save a life. _

She had after all taken this assignment in the interest of saving lives, but now that possibility is put in the cross-hairs with the prospect of the Gordanians coming after Earth. Something about all this felt odd to her, but maybe it just the suddenness upon which all this has come into play around her.

It felt so arousing to be with him like this again. Her lips curved upward as he said her name while beginning to remove her headdress, but he didn't make it as far as he planned or as she hoped because Kragger infamous for his timing has barged in on them. He lets her headdress slide back down as Kragger crosses the threshold.

"What is it?" snips Talak.

"Commander Talak," addresses Kragger.

"Kragger, I left strict orders not to be interrupted," reminds Talak.

Shayera readjusts the headdress while Hro goes over towards Kragger to ascertain the cause of the interruption, but knowing Kragger it had more to do with ruining the mood than with whatever he would offer as a cover explanation for the intrusion.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're receiving a transmission from the humans," responds Kragger.

It is a believable excuse though Shayera hopes that it means Earth is willing to accept Thanagarian help to fend off the Gordanians.

**"_Commander Talak, the world leaders have come to a decision. Earth gladly accepts your assistance,"_** informs Superman.

"Very good - We will begin immediately," answers Talak flatly.

He shuts off the terminal and turns towards her.

"I'm sorry darling duty calls, but I want you to come with me and act with as an official liaison with the natives. Your experience with them may come in handy," says Hro/Talak.

At first he sounds like Hro, but halfway through he starts sounding more like Talak. She did not know why she thought of them as separate men, but he had distinct behavior patterns depending on who was in the room with them. Of course it might just be Kragger or his military training taking over when he was in the presence of Earth's leaders, she could accept that because her mission to this world would have at least one substantially positive outcome, which is that it would not fall to the Gordanians. She'll take it because it means helping Thanagar and Earth, she wants to believe that more anything else since she knows that finding new footing with her teammates will not easy.

All the same she hopes that Thanagar's assistance against this threat will persuade that her deception might prove to be their salvation from the Gordanians. Her hearing is as sharp as ever so she waits in the corridor just beyond where Hro is still chatting with Kragger.

"Sir, with all due respect… do you think it's prudent to let her go back down there again? She hasn't been properly debriefed or psychologically assessed. Living among those humans for so long may have --- ," warns Kragger acidly.

"You worry too much Kragger," rebukes Talak abruptly.

"I have always been overly cautious. Still you may want to keep an eye on her," recommends Kragger.

"I'll be watching her closely. Very closely," continues Talak.

He leans forward cutting through Kragger's pathetic attempts at bravado because he knows if there is anyone Kragger is afraid of, it would be him, but knows he always had an understatement for obvious. Shayera knows they would definitely be suspicious of her allegiances because undercover assignments affect agents more on an emotional or psychological level than on a physical level.

"And you will mind your own business. Is that understood?" counters Hro.

She smiles knowing that Hro had not lost his touch when it comes to shutting others down when he believes they are overstepping their bounds and Kragger is habitual for overstepping bounds.

* * *

**Gobi Desert - Five Days Later**

The work crews are already underway once a proper location is selected for the site of the Shield Generator. The progress being made in less than a day is astounding, but it reminds her of when she and Fate found a way to avoid further fighting by working together to slay Icthultu. Her only fickle regret about that night was being unable to save Solomon, but in the end his faith and her words had nearly made her believe that death is not the end.

She strips off her Hawkgirl costume only piece at a time until she is down to her undergarments and even those she removes before climbing into the shower in her quarters aboard the command ship. It felt invigorating to shower using Thanagarian amenities once more, but she found her thoughts wandering to the first time she shared that somewhat cramped shower in John's apartment with John. The whole experience seem haphazard at the time especially when they had a hard time drying off her wings though they ultimately found their own way to warm up after finding out that his hot water was not working so well at least in the winter.

She wraps herself up in one of crew regulations towels and spots her old military uniforms laid out on her bed while the pile that was her Hawkgirl uniform is gone. Not everything about Hawkgirl was a deception or a lie, but Hawkgirl was a woman made to hide the secrets that Shayera Hol could tell no one. She drops the towel to the floor before putting on her military jumpsuit, which was made to support her figure specifically, but it felt a little tight, she had to wonder had she put on that much weight since the last time she wore it, maybe she had though otherwise it went back on her with relative ease. Next she slides on her gauntlets, her armored combat boots, her chest plate, and lastly the helmet customary to all officers of the Thanagarian military, which are fuller than those worn by non-officers yet quite as regal as ones worn by someone with Hro's rank or higher.

Her duties as liaison officer had been part of the expediency to the construction efforts and now she would personally go sight since she heard the League with the exception of Batman and Wonder Woman are personally lending a hand to the work crews.

This would also be the first time she had seen Paran Dul in over five years as well, but she and Paran had a better working relationship than she had with Kragger. Paran once told she endures Kragger because he gets the job done in getting the crews and the soldiers to pull their weight, but even she only tolerates Kragger as much as she can tolerate anyone.

The flagship to further expedite construction now remains in close proximity to the construction site in the Gobi Desert. It also made moving the materials faster and smoother since the cargo loaders only had to travel short distances between the storage bays and the sands below.

"We need this entire area cleared and leveled," orders Talak.

"I'm on it," states Green Lantern.

Lantern is quick to move the goat herders and their camp away from the site though Shayera is quickly airborne with him. The others had been avoiding her ever since what happen back in Washington. It seems to her that the last five days had undone everything she had made for herself here on Earth in the last five years. Kragger could have been right to warn Hro about her undercover compromising her, but she felt desperate to prove him wrong and to reassure Hro that he has no cause to doubt her loyalty. All the same the silent looks she had gotten from the others including John felt hard to bear with equal silence.

She can tell this whole arrangement on top of learning why she really had come here in the first place had 'rubbed them the wrong way' to borrow a human expression. All the same, she only had to look into anything that could reflect her image to remind herself that she's Thanagarian by birth, but everything else is 'up in the air'. All this time in the desert had also help her lose some weight so the uniform felt less tight in certain areas of her body. She watches Lantern move the encampment with his Marine hardened stoicism, but she feels she knows him better than that so she takes flight in order into formation with him.

"John, we need to talk," insists Shayera.

"Nothing to talk about," deadpans John.

"But I want to explain about Hro and me," continues Shayera.

"I'm a little busy now Lieutenant," reminds John.

He never even looks at her. Sometimes he could frustrate beyond belief and now is one of those times. She returns to her unofficial station within the construction site.

"I don't get what you see in that guy," comments Flash.

She could be stoic too and right now she didn't feel in the mood to talk so she let Flash talk his mouth off. As much as that tendency about him did annoy her, right now, she was glad at least he was talking to her even though she could not think of anything that would break his misgivings about Hro.

"I mean, he's big and strong… and ridiculously good-looking, but so what?" adds Flash.

Flash had it half right about why she fell in love with Hro in the first place. The other half had more to do with what he did for her rather than how he looks to her.

"That doesn't make him some kind of hero," concludes Flash.

Down below Hro snatches a goat out of the path of a bulldozer and flies up to where she is standing with Flash. Hro hands the goat to Flash.

"Here – look after this little one," suggest Hro.

As she flies off with Hro, she looks back to the still disbelieving Flash, but had hope that act might start to change Flash's attitude towards Hro even just a little.

* * *

The hours pass as construction continues at a rapid pace, but the monotony is soon broken by an explosion outside the construction perimeter. It sounds like a Thanagarian weapon firing to Shayera so she bolts wondering as to why any of her people would be firing a weapon as it is inconsistent with the noise level of energy powered tools being used to weld the metals together. Paran Dul is apparently the one who fired heavy pulse gun at what was the Javelin-7.

Shayera slams Paran into the wall after disarming her of the weapon.

"What are you doing?" hisses Shayera.

"Can't let your friends jeopardize our mission," interjects Talak.

A whole contingent of 'Hawkmen' rise up to heed detainment orders given moments ago by Commander Talak himself, but Shayera knowing the League as well as she does realizes they won't come quietly.

Down below the human construction workers are probably phoning this in and the human military organization NATO would launch a counterstrike in moments, which meant this could get ugly except Thanagarian weapons technology is well ahead of its Earth counterpart. It is beyond any doubt that the NATO at the behest of the World Assembly had been told to be ready to launch this attack in the event that they perceive Thanagarian intentions as duplicitous. She knows her people's electromagnetic countermeasures well and sure enough that is exactly what they use against the approaching vanguard of tanks, which immediately shut them down. If there was any manner of missile strikes, they would have been shut down in a similar fashion and if the tank operators have any guns pulse weapons they would likewise cease to function.

Earth's military outfits would be best inclined to stand down if they wish to avoid bloodshed or so Shayera wants to believe, but somehow in the midst of all this she had become a spectator instead of an active force.

Paran had already broken Shayera's grip on her moments ago is now going after J'onn who shape shifted into a life-form she had never seen him imitate before, but it would be to no avail on their part as her reports had made her people ready for this battle. Paran's electrostatic rod shocks J'onn back into humanoid state and renders him unconscious in the process. Flash races over knocking Paran away J'onn before turning back to the Martian while she watches unmoving in the distance.

John meanwhile is facing nearly two dozen Hawkmen on his own. His ring is serving its purpose well as he fights them off, but all Green Lanterns had a vulnerability to the yellow spectrum, which she found out when he fought against Sinestro. Tensions between the seven of them had been escalating for months by then and only by somehow 'burying the hatchet' had they been able to ward Grodd's plan to permanently disband the Justice League.

John hits the ground and next Superman goes on the attack except he takes a point blank hit from an energy weapon modulated and powered by a crystal that mimics the effects of Kryptonite. Flash rushes over to where Superman hit the ground.

"Fire the gravity beam," instructs Talak.

This one is meant for Flash's powers and it quickly diminishes his energy levels to the point he can barely move at all. John however had not succumb to the yellow energy pulse entirely so he takes it upon himself to use the ring to help him carry the others out of the battle zone except Kragger is already made the force field will block their escape. John slams head long into causing himself and the others to hit the ground. However the weight of the three had led him to fly low so the drop didn't knock him out, but hitting the force field head long probably stunned his face temporarily.

* * *

Shayera goes straight to him figuring she can sort this without more violence.

"Don't fight us. We are trying to help you," insists Shayera.

"Don't you ever stop lying?" retorts John sharply.

It is the first time that anyone had directly accused her of lying in the last five days or the past five years for that matter because everyone had usually taken her at her word because maybe they believed she would never lie to them, but she had. The trouble for her is she kept switching back and forth between honesty and deception that she could hardly tell what is and what is not true any longer except to cling to this belief that her people were trying to help save Earth, she feels a deeply ingrained need to believe in that when all else has been lost to her on Earth.

"It was for your own good. You have got to trust me," pleads Shayera.

"Why? Whose side are you really on?" snarls John.

"Don't you know?" murmurs Shayera softly.

John lowers his charging ring only to get the receiving end of her mace's residual charge, which knocks him to the ground. She made it as brief as she could because for it to last any longer than a few seconds would have all this drag out longer, but now there is no turning back, if she had to lose John and the others to save Earth, she would do it. Self-sacrifice is not such a foreign concept to her anymore.

"I'm sorry John."

* * *

A/N 1: Originally I was only going to explore this destroyer-creator idea with only two episodes yet somehow I brought in a third, the multi-parter Starcrossed. I also have the movie version of Starcrossed on DVD, which is one I visually reference while writing this chapter and so it becomes what becomes the_ in media res_ part of the story.

A/N 2: Starcrossed offers glances into what happens to Shayera during these events, but it always seems to me that more focus is point into what happens to others after the Thanagarians (aka the Hawkmen) turn on them as well as Earth. I really sought to dig into what Flash later refers to as her no-win situation.

A/N 3: She hopes deeply that everything will work out in the end, but soon the situation will force her decision.


	4. Crucible

"_**This is Commander Hro Talak. In the name of the Thanagarian Authority… we claim your planet as a garrison …and have instituted martial law. Your world faces a crisis from which only we can protect you. But to be effective we must be free to act and move without interference. Cooperate and our stay will be brief and without incident. Stand against us and our wrath will be unforgiving."**_

It is already beginning as entire detachments are on the move, spreading out across the entire world. There is soon not a single place on Earth where humans have not seen the Thanagarians. If this is what it takes then Shayera would go along with it because she believes in Hro despite knowing what she is condoning, but humanity doesn't know the Gordanians like the Thanagarians do. She is following what believes to be the right thing to do as of now, but somehow whether she admits it or not, something did not feel exactly right about this. She tries to chalk it up to the personal collateral damage that all this will do, not just to her, but more so to the League or Earth for that matter.

* * *

"You have lived among them. Do you think they'll cooperate?" asks Hro.

"I think they got the message," answers Shayera.

She would imagine her next questions to be painfully obvious even to Hro, to Commander Talak.

"What about the Justice League? What are you going to do about them?" queries Shayera.

"For special guests, I have made very special arrangements," assures Talak.

* * *

Kragger personally takes her to the detainment block aboard the smaller Thanagarian cruiser, which individualized cells adapted to fit their occupants. She only had herself to blame even for this detainment protocol, but she kept telling herself this was the last resort, her people don't want to do this to Earth or to the League.

The first cell they pass is the one for Superman. It is fully illuminated by lights that mimic red solar energy, which she found out, neutralizes Superman's powers.

"Traitor!" shouts Superman.

He struggles with his shackles, but it useless straining on his part. She recalls the tears she shed after she and the others thought Toyman had killed him only weeks after Solomon had fallen in battle against the Icthultu. She registers Superman's contempt and disbelief because even when they rarely saw eye-to-eye on tactics at least they found common ground in the pursuit of helping others. Shayera resumes following Kragger as they continue to pass one cell after another.

"Weak."

J'onn often did so much others without asking much in return even when he is the last Martian in the universe. She couldn't imagine what opening his mind to surface thoughts of millions had done to his mind, but somehow in retreating into the wilderness he found hope in the unlikeliest of places and from the most unexpected of people. One of the searchers as he told her was more worried about the girl freezing to death than he was about his only health and so J'onn took it upon himself to locate the girl for that man. The heart rending thing is he did, he found her when he himself had never felt so lost, not even all his centuries of living alone on Mars made him feel lost, it only made him feel alone when everyone that had been an inseparable part of his existence had been killed in Mars' last war.

J'onn would never be weak to her. He lost his wife, his family, his people, and for that he no longer had cause to stay on Mars, not with those responsible for their deaths setting out to do the same to Earth once they were let loose by an overly curious Earth astronaut. Simply being the last Martian never kept him from doing what he felt right and now she had to wonder could she be as selfless as he in a similar situation. Experience often provides the answers the mind cannot, she has always known this to be true.

"Useless."

Flash had all manner of irritable mannerisms, but he always had time for friends or enemies, which set him apart from the others on the team. The others usually just dealt with both in completely different ways, but not Flash. He also was prone to making ridiculous wisecracks that she had to admit in retrospect made her laugh on the inside even though for the longest time she thought of doing anything to end his predisposition to make jokes. However at times she would play off one his wisecracks with one of her own. If they didn't have Flash around to keep them laughing this hero business would get too serious as even costumed heroes need irreverent doses of laughter or someone to remind them of their better qualities instead of letting the bad guys bring out the worst.

"Broken."

She heard Batman fought off more than half a dozen Hawkmen before Kragger simply hit with a stun gun. Kragger always seem to distance himself from fighting hand to hand, because if he had Batman would have laid him flat faster than he had done with the Hawkmen. She had seen Batman fight opponents more than double his size and come out of it with no apparent injuries. Almost nothing could stop him short of being knocked out, which is how Batman had come to wake up in this cell with both his hands and feet kept locked together to deny him freedom of movement. Otherwise he would have taken something from his utility belt to break free of his restraints. The restraints however cover his hands completely so even if he could reach his belt, he had no way to open it or she thought likely. He is often said to save the day with nothing more than wits, body, and she knows quite well he is far beyond that of an ordinary man because she had found what makes him refuse to give up no matter what.

In Kragger's assessment, Batman is broken, but he will always be far more in her eyes if no one else except maybe Diana. Her other former teammates had differing opinions about Batman, but consensus is that Batman will fight for justice until he dies or someone kills him though Superman once said Batman is too stubborn to die, she didn't doubt that.

"It would've been difficult to storm their Watchtower… without the access codes you provided."

He said that in earshot of Diana on purpose. He is using the opportunity to gloat as if he had won something, but they had not won anything, the fight had gone in their favor because of something worse than providing her access codes to the Watchtower. Kragger would most likely blab about that as well. Psychological warfare as she heard was always his area of expertise, but that didn't keep him from playing mind games with everyone even those he serves with or under.

Likewise if Diana was not bound to the pole by her lasso, she would have broken out and went a fighting spree starting with Kragger if he were close enough to her. Of course Shayera similarly suspects if she were closer Diana would definitely attack her too. Remember to let battle express your true feelings and intentions is the motto that her melee combat teacher taught her several years ago. She found validation in this when it was solely on her and Diana to stop Aresia from releasing a biological weapon that would kill Earth's male population.

"Also, your analysis of their weaknesses was most helpful," adds Kragger.

John's black eye is her handiwork, but exploiting his feelings for her in order to get close enough to knock him out was not her idea of fair yet to end the fighting she had to knock him out fast. He was the last of the six to be taken down. She broke his concentration by distracting him with words.

"That one will be the least trouble. He's nothing without his toy," assures Kragger.

Her eyes and John's eyes met in one of the most intense stares that either had given each other in the past five years. They had other stares, but none as clear as this one. Kragger is wrong about John on that count as there is much more to John than a Green Lantern ring. John fought in war zones both in the present and the past without a power ring.

* * *

She recalls the time he willing went to trial because he felt everyone had to be accountable for their actions even him, she got the principle behind it, but what ticked her off was how easily his fellow Lanterns deserted him during the trial. Shayera how fought them all until Kilowog intercedes by way ending his own silent disapproval of the other Lanterns' behavior towards John because of the trial. As it turns out, the whole thing was an elaborate ruse put together by the Manhunters to discredit the Corps, the Guardians, and finally to seize the Central Battery on Oa if not for John's intervention.

There is also when she, John, Flash, and J'onn were teleported to an alternate Earth look after by an organization calling itself the Justice Guild. Many things about that Earth struck her as backwards in comparison to the Earth she had been living on up to that point especially the attitudes towards women, but she did herself best to play along for the sake of keeping things moving. All the same, something again was wrong, but she couldn't pin it down, not until she found the graves for each of the Justice Guild members she met only hours earlier. Ultimately it is revealed that Earth was devastated by nuclear war and the boy that was Ray Thompson had recreated the past except by doing so trapped the survivors in a mental illusion of a city that no longer exists for them.

In the end, Ray's mental Justice Guild turns on him to save the Leaguers from being killed by Ray. The battle between creator and creations kills both. The city reverts to its true appearance, the survivors thank them for ending the fantasy, but in reality part of the fantasy ended the fantasy. Ray had mentally resurrected his dead heroes too well. Turbine's inter-dimensional portal is found in the ruins of the JGA headquarters thus allowing them to return home. John felt as he shouldn't be mourning heroes that died almost half a century ago.

"_Why should I feel like this? I mean, they weren't even real."_

"_They gave their lives for us. That's real enough for me."_

Another turn to make her look at John differently is when she, John, and Katma were being held prisoner by Despero during the latter's fanatical intergalactic conquest by using the Fire of Py'tar. At some point prior John became unable to use his ring and even with Katma's efforts to retrain him he could not draw upon the ring's power. Of course she reminds him then that she already knows there's more to him than a fancy ring yet the real proof of that is when Despero turns to convert her.

"_Keep away from her!" _

"_The wings give her an exotic quality. Won't you agree? I don't think I'll put her in the army. I have just the place for her as one of my personal attendants."_

"_Don't even think about it."_

In the midst of becoming driven again, the ring snaps back to him and he uses it fight Despero after ensuring that Despero would be unable to convert her. He fought with a determination and frenzy she had never seen in him before, he fought for her, but it would not be until Vegas that she learns for certain that he would die for her. Still he kept impressing her until she could no longer deny that she loves him at least not in her heart because her mind frequently kept her in check, but after Vegas she felt tired of fighting her feelings, she desired to be a woman again.

* * *

"Don't underestimate them," reminds Shayera.

"You're right. Perhaps we should make sure they are not a threat," suggests Kragger.

He's almost sneering at her as he pulls out a blaster. Kragger looks as if he is aiming the weapon at her innocuously before spinning it in his gloved hand so that she would take the weapon from him. He's testing her, she knows that.

"Better still, perhaps you should," implies Kragger.

"The point of this occupation… is to keep peace while we finish the mission. If we kill Earth's heroes, the natives will revolt. Our best plan is to build the shield, then go," reminds Shayera.

She hands the weapon back to him and starts to walk away. She could imagine his surprise, she even manage to surprise herself, but that is the thing she could not think of many times in the past five years where she killed something or someone just because she had the means to do such a thing. The only thing she had slain in all that time was the Icthultu, but that served a higher purpose in her mind. The deaths of the six captive Justice League members are not part of the mission, Hro only intends to hold them until the shield generator is done, and the Occupational Forces would stand down then too. As for her, she believes she will leave with her people because there seems to be nothing to left for her here.

"Make sure they're well taken care of," orders Shayera.

She imagines that Kragger likely has one of those sly expressions on his face now as if planning something, some way to use her reactions and responses aboard the detainment vessel to his advantage, but maybe he would save it for later. He would need something more substantial than her words in order to turn Hro against her. She exits the ship and descends to the construction though she does spare the time to watch it rocket away from the area. As it cruises beyond her line of sight, something told her that the six of them would not take this lying down, but an escape on their part could worsen this already tense situation.

* * *

"Commander, there's been a security breach aboard the prison shuttle. The Justice League has escaped."

"How did it happen?" asks Kragger.

"They are the Justice League, that's how it happened," interjects Shayera.

"Take a strike squad back to the surface. Search every house, every building, look under every rock. Find them!" orders Talak.

"By your command," responds Kragger.

Kragger is quick to heed Talak's orders, but somehow Shayera suspects now the six are loose they will definitely allow themselves to be caught again because this time it would be worse because defying a tactical defeat is somewhat offensive to a Thanagarian. If you lost, you lost, if you won, you won, there is no other way to interpret it or so she used to think, but no matter how bad things looked when she fought along side the six of them, they always manage to pull off the impossible. She did her best to conceal the slightest amount of pride she felt for them because they had been captured and imprisoned before, but then like now, they would not allow detainment to hold them down.

Kragger and the strike squad depart within minutes while she and Hro head to the bridge.

* * *

"_**This is the voice of the Thanagarian Occupational Authority. Your so-called Justice League is in violation of martial law. They are to be considered an enemy and dealt with on sight. Any person found aiding or harboring them… will be summarily punished."**_

There is an incoming transmission from the Gobi Desert site so Talak decides to take it privately, but asks Shayera to join even though he intends to speak to Paran alone.

"_The construction proceeds as scheduled. We have added humans to the workforce," _reports Paran.

"Are they of any use?" queries Talak.

Humans doing forced labor, Shayera couldn't believe what she is overhearing. The situation could not have gotten that desperate even with the League's jailbreak.

"_They have no technical expertise to speak of… but they can lift and carry as well as any animal. We should complete the project by the target date,"_ replies Paran.

"Be aware that the Justice League has escaped. Stand ready for an attack," informs Talak.

"_Let them come. It would only be suicide,"_ assures Paran.

Paran like Kragger seems too eager for fighting and that felt truly wrong to her. So much about this is wrong, she wonders why she did not see it earlier, but such is hindsight though there is still time to avoid further violence, enough damage has already been done.

"Keep me informed of your progress. And, Paran, let nothing delay you," orders Talak.

"_By your command," _finishes Paran.

It is only after the transmission ends that Shayera decides to venture questioning the recent decisions made by Hro as Commander Talak.

"Humans working as slaves?" comments Shayera softly.

"Unfortunately but necessary – we are on an unforgiving schedule. And if we're going to finish the hyperspace bypass in time--," explains Talak flatly.

"Bypass? I thought we were building a force shield," exclaims Shayera.

"That was merely the cover story," continues Talak.

It appears this deception goes far beyond all the things she did not tell the League about herself.

"So when were you going to tell me your real plans? Or didn't you think you could trust me?" accuses Shayera sharply.

The almost impassive stares last mere seconds before he tells her to follow him. They enter a part of the ship she had not seen before tonight, which is essentially known as the war room. Hro activates a multi-dimensional holographic display of the galaxy. Thanagar is to one side and to the other Gordanian home world in the Vega System. She recognizes all the other locations where the bypasses are already in place and the last still incomplete is here on Earth.

"For decades, the Gordanian Homeworld… has been protected behind an impregnable defense line. But this chain of hyperspace bypasses… will help our armadas jump behind their defenses… and make a direct assault on the heart of their empire," states Talak.

It is now disturbingly clear how desperate Thanagar is to defeat their generations old enemy. Many things rush through her mind and none of them all that good in the least.

"Earth is the last link in that chain. Once the chain is completed… we can attack and wipe out the Gordanian threat forever."

She couldn't believe it, but he is not concealing the true nature of the mission from her anymore.

"But if we open a hyperspace window, it will destroy the entire planet," rebukes Shayera.

"Sadly, yes," admits Hro.

He looks down as he admits what they both know about the side effects of hyperspace travel.

"For Thanagar to live, Earth must die," vows Talak.

She felt her eyes widen as her breathing slow, and her lips part yet there is no sound.

* * *

She left him in the war room too stun to say anything else yet she could not stand idly as one world's survival is sacrificed for another's it as almost as if her people had chosen to ignore the high sacrifices they made long ago to the Icthultu. The same Icthultu that was now dead though mostly due to the sacrifices on the part of Solomon Grundy. Shayera sharply inhales while sadly recalling the all too brief joys of that battle because ultimately the stream of memories would lead her back to the first time she still remembers as the first time she cried uncontrollably.

_I couldn't save you Solomon. I won't let anyone else die because of me._

She initiates a download of files pertaining to the bypass and once the download is done she does her best to erase the data trail that would lead back to her. She goes to the lookout and expects that Hro/Talak will come to her especially if he is paying as much attention to her as he swore he would when Kragger made warnings to Hro about her.

There are hundreds if not thousands of homes below her, but that is only a fraction of the billions that live on the surface. Men, women, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children – all these lives would die if she did nothing, she could not just do nothing, but would saving Earth doom Thanagar?

She didn't know, she didn't have any goddesses to yell at for strength. There is no sagely paternal figure who is more than a butler who took to looking after her as a child. She is not the grownup version of a child sent away from a doomed planet to be raised by character building farmers. She did not come from a world devastated by an invasion that left her as the last of her kind in the universe. She did not speed or the humor of someone that could irritate you and make you laugh at the same time. Lastly she did not have superiors who had chosen her for an assignment that had no ulterior motives.

"What are you looking at?" asks Hro quietly.

"Nothing," answers Shayera flatly.

"I have never seen anyone stare at nothing so intently."

He puts his gloved hands on her shoulders. The first night they were back together she would have enjoyed this, but now. She can feel his breath on her neck and wings, which did tend to arouse her in the past though not at the moment. The sound of his voice or the curve of his smile could have made her smile yet even to move her lips seems to hurt now.

"I know this must be difficult for you," continues Hro.

His tone sounds as if meant to assuage her emotional distress, but nothing can do that now.

"Do you?" retorts Shayera softly.

"What is obligation can sometimes feel like betrayal… but only true obligation is to Thanagar."

She didn't know when she stop thinking, but maybe it didn't happen immediately maybe it happen so gradually that there is no way to know when much of her own thinking by way posing as Hawkgirl had made look at everything differently. Betrayal is the word here, it is what she did to her Earth friends, to John, to the memory of Solomon Grundy, but to help them would mean betraying Thanagar, her people, and Hro.

"There must be another way," insists Shayera.

Hro has fallen silent, who would answer her now, she didn't know, but she would not stop until someone answers her one way or another.

"Can't you reroute the bypass through some uninhabited planet or moon?" suggests Shayera.

"Any alteration would set us back more than five years… and every moment we delay is equaled in the blood of our people," asserts Talak.

Survival isn't justification enough for her. She starts to realize it never was and never will be, but means she would have to betray someone to save someone. She didn't like it, but what other recourse is left?

"That still doesn't give us the right. There are billions of lives down there," counters Shayera.

"We are at war. Have you forgotten why we fight?" quips Talak.

She and Talak stare each other down though this is the first time she can recall that there has been such a strain of hostility between them.

"Or what horrors the Gordanians are capable of? Have you forgotten my long years rotting in their stinking prison camps?" fumes Talak.

Talak removes his headdress to reveal the scars she remembers tracing with her fingertips on Aloria. The first time he let her remove his headdress she saw them. She thought them a battle injury until he told her how he got them in a prison camp from one of the overseers who nearly clawed his eye. The slash was quick, painful, and bloody. It also left three distinct lines that merge into one that runs along the right side of his face from his forehead all the way down his jaw bone. He has also has other scars on different parts of his body, but few of those were inflicting during his times in Gordanian internment camps.

"I haven't!" yells Talak.

"I have forgotten nothing, but this war is no excuse to –"says Shayera.

He grips his fists and glares at her.

"I am your commander!"

He grabs her by the arms.

"You will not question me!" demands Talak.

"I don't even know you anymore." answers Shayera sharply.

Kragger can be heard clearing his throat behind them.

"What is it?" asks Talak gravelly.

"We have lost track of the Justice League. They've blended with the populace," reports Kragger.

Kragger advances towards the previously arguing pair.

"It will be difficult to find them… unless of course you know where they are," continues Kragger.

Kragger and Talak both look at her waiting for an answer. He smiles for a split second before she grabs him single handedly by the throat and slams him quickly into a nearby console. The impact shook him up and her grip tightens noticeably.

"You are a long way from home. If you ever want to see it again, I suggest you tread lightly," recommends Shayera derisively.

She releases him and he falls fast to his knees breathing raggedly then walks back down the length of the lookout's walkway and out of the room. After that she paces herself to the landing bay to head out in one of the fighters though she made sure to switch off the internal tracking systems in order to cover her movements. The fighters are fast so hopefully there's enough to reach the vicinity of the Batcave and then return to the command ship without incident. Shayera made her decision for Earth to survive the bypass must be blown up and the only people she could risk going to for that would be the last people on Earth would probably want to see her right now.

* * *

"Your guests have arrived, sir," calls Alfred.

John and Wally descend the steps then head towards the others by the Bat-Computer.

"You're late," admonishes 'Batman'.

"Nice to see you too," responds John dryly.

Wally is looking towards one of the Batcave's 'Museum' pieces.

"Hey, that's a giant dinosaur," comments Wally.

"And I thought Batman was the detective," remarks Alfred.

Alfred heads back towards the stairwell that connects the manor and the cave.

"We were just speculating why the Thanagarians are really here," says J'onn.

"Obviously not to protect us," adds Clark plainly.

"If the Gordanians are nowhere near Earth…why do they need to build a force field?" asks Diana.

"If it is a force field…" reminds Bruce.

"Then what is it?" queries John.

"I can tell you," assures Shayera.

Clark steps forward removing his 'glasses'.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," sneers Clark.

"We should thank you. It saves us from having to hunt you down," chirps Diana.

"I didn't come to fight," continues Shayera.

Everyone except Bruce is advancing on her so to get this done she would have to get to him.

"I came to help."

"Hawk people all over the planet, martial law, us getting chased like dogs. I don't think we can take much more of your help," retorts Wally.

She had known from the start of this gambit that it would be a hard sell especially if even the wise cracking Flash is more or less sharing the deserved mistrust among other feelings the six of them feel towards her in varying degrees.

"The situation is much more than you think."

She starts to walk with her arms at her side as if clear to show she is carrying no weapons at all even though her fists could probably count as weapons at a time like this. All of them have glaring yet impassive stares. She inwardly admits the stares, the threats, the crossed arms, and six on one odds. Not one bit of looked favorable nor did she expect them to be welcoming because she took part in what her people had done here for the past week.

"They are a building a hyperspace bypass. When it's activated, it'll destroy the entire planet and everything on it."

She raises her right hand slowly to show that is only a data storage device.

"Here – this has all the information on the project," promises Shayera.

She is only looking at Bruce – Batman - right now.

"Believe me. I didn't know the magnitude of Talak's plans," confesses Shayera.

He maintains the Bat-glare even without the cowl. She didn't expect it to soften up, it wouldn't be like him nor could he afford to look sympathetic not with Superman or Wonder Woman right behind them.

"We'll check it out. There's the door," says Bruce harshly.

He walks back towards the Bat-Computer all the others except John follow suit.

"Aren't you going to turn your back on me too?" wonders Shayera loudly.

"Last time I let my guard down, you sucker punched me," reminds John gruffly.

"It wasn't personal," swears Shayera.

"Keep telling your self that," quips John.

"I did what I thought was right then, and that's what I am doing now," sighs Shayera.

She opens up her other gloved hand to reveal John's Green Lantern ring. She doesn't fully look at him yet his grimace loosens for a few seconds when he sees the ring. It reverts back just as suddenly, they look at each other, he slowly removes the ring from her hand, and she steps back to spread her wings. She won't look back just see if he is watching, she knows he's watching.

* * *

Kragger is there waiting for her in the landing bay. She had a sinking feeling inside that somehow he knows where she went even though she had disabled the fighter's tracking beacon.

"Welcome back Lieutenant Hol," greets Kragger smugly.

"You are in my way," insists Shayera quickly.

"Likewise, I'm sure. Come with me," responds Kragger.

"I don't take orders from – "retorts Shayera.

She hears then sees two Hawkmen land behind her carrying electro-staffs. Kragger definitely knows where she went. He is taking her to Talak with whatever damning evidence he has in his possession.

* * *

"_Construction is nearly complete. The bypass generator will be operational within the hour," _reports Paran.

"Evacuate our troops. I want that bypass activated as soon as it is ready," orders Talak.

Paran merely nods and ends the transmission. The time is almost always seems over yet still many strive to find words to explain the unexplainable this is rapidly becoming one of those though not everyone appears to have caught onto this.

He turns to see an unmasked Shayera being shoved to the floor in front of him. He kneels to find out what if anything had been done to her by Kragger.

"What do you think you are doing?" demands Hro.

"I'm sorry, sir," apologizes Kragger flatly.

Kragger doesn't do apologies, but his talent for pretense by way obfuscation is impossible to miss at least for a trained observer of Thanagarian behavior, which Hro Talak plus Shayera is still his promised partner despite the earlier argument.

"She's guilty of high treason, espionage, and consorting with the enemy," continues Kragger.

He slides a disc into the drive slot of the terminal. The recording is literally word for word of what she said to them back at the Batcave though Kragger is quick to provide how this was done. She did not see who left her uniform in her quarters earlier this week. It must have been Kragger for how else could he have hidden the holo-cam without her knowledge. He is about to take it one step further not just ruin her military career, but ruin the promise between her and Hro. She is shown giving the ring back to John.

"Hro," murmurs Shayera.

"Get her out of my sight," orders Talak.

The Hawkmen start to pull her away and Kragger starts one of his not-so-subtle gloats.

"Commander, I hated to be the one to tell you."

Hro for a moment resurfaces from behind Talak to deck Kragger. It is a short lived satisfaction to watch Hro deck Kragger that hard and now he would order Kragger to go kill the League for certain. However she chooses to believe the League will prevail because they have to in order to their world.

* * *

Suddenly she felt like she had nothing left to lose except her own life and it hardly seems like much of a life to live anymore. Time is running out from Earth because Paran estimates are usually never wrong, but a lot can happen in hour, to save or destroy, and now Hro Talak comes to her cell. Shayera barely made any effort to track time in here so she had little way of knowing how much of that predicted hour is left.

"Why, Shayera? Why would you do this?" asks Hro.

"I'm trying to save lives," answers Shayera.

"So am I. Tens of billions of Thanagarians," reminds Hro.

"So we trade human lives for our own?" quips Shayera.

"War makes for hard choices, Lieutenant. It's them or us," implores Talak.

"The man I fell in love with would have found another way," insists Shayera.

"Are you talking about me or Green Lantern?" retorts Hro.

Hro Talak reads body language as well as she does so there is no lying about love with him. She tilts her head downward and closes her eyes.

"I didn't want to believe it. Shayera, I love you," continues Hro.

She crosses her arms wondering if he is saying all this to win her back or win her over. It is not the same thing. Winning her back means sparing the Earth despite the risks to Thanagar while winning her over means saving Thanagar at the expense of the Earth.

"I can forgive your treason. I can forgive everything. Make this all go away. Just tell me what I need to hear," pleads Hro Talak.

For once it sounds as if she were hearing some a crisscross of the facets of his personality. He places right gloved hand against the force shield and it glows red.

"It was a meaningless flirtation. You were lonely. Tell me I'm the one you love, not him!" demands Hro Talak.

"If you want me, I'm yours," promises Shayera.

His smile briefly reappears until she presses for him to spare Earth as part of them burying the hatchet. He bangs his fist against the field while having the look of realizing he cannot win her back on her terms nor can she be won over his terms.

"Perhaps you'll forget him once Earth is nothing, but a memory."

He walks away and the external barrier restores itself. She sits back down to wait for her end, but it would not be the ending she is expects.  


* * *

Shayera can feel the ship rocking even from down here in her cell and then sounds of shipboard fighting. Several Hawkmen are drawn back in the direction they had just come from and Diana approaches carrying a sword.

"I should leave you to burn," snips Diana.

However the Amazon instead bashes the cell's control pad and shorts both security measures. Diana leaves quickly and Shayera takes one of the dropped maces then goes she knows where Hro will wait for John.

* * *

"Hro, enough!" shouts Shayera.

She arrives as he is about to deal the killing blow.

"The fight's over. You're a soldier, not a murderer," reminds Shayera.

He instantly strikes her across the face. She is starting to think maybe John had a point about sucker punches.

"I'm a fool for ever loving you," snaps Hro acidly.

She gets back to her feet and stands ready to charge her mace.

"It didn't have to be this way," implores Shayera.

Their weapons start to electrify at the same time.

"Yes, it did," counters Hro.

Together they rapidly exchange swings, but each time they symmetrically block each other. They know each other's fighting styles, which is what made this fight harder in a way. It is not until they start changing tactics does the stalemate break. Fairness drains away quickly and soon Hro scores a blow that knocks her weapon away. He then pins her against the bulkhead with his axe level at her chest armor.

"Was he worth it?" snarls Hro.

"This isn't about him. This is about us," gasps Shayera.

He pushes the weapon closer to her.

"Don't kill these people, Hro. Find another way," pleads Shayera.

At first it looks as if this appeal had gotten through to him except in a split second he jabs her at waist level after charging the weapon once more. All she can feel now is every nerve in her body screaming though not nearly as loud as she is screaming. He stops and grabs her by the hair.

"There is no **_us_** anymore, Shayera," retorts Hro.

He then hurls her towards the deck. It is a hard landing, but she braces herself with her gloved hands still it is a hard fall though not the same as what the past week had done to her on the inside.

"Just a fallen traitor and a soldier with a job to do," continues Hro.

Hro expects John to try to fight him again.

"She won't save you again, Lantern. No woman's skirt to hide behind."

Hro reminds him that he no longer has the ring, but as Shayera had known from the Kalanor Mission that John always will be more than a fancy ring. She believes he can outwit Hro if nothing else and he does just that by causing Hro in anger to accidentally hit the force field protecting the control switch. As he struggles to push the button with one good hand, she lends her strength to his. The Bypass instantly drops and moments later the Watchtower smashes into it as it starts to come online. The impact collision triggers a massive explosion and in the end what took seven days to build blew apart in less than a fraction of that time.

It almost did seem like there would be another fight over the destruction of the Bypass, but Talak elects to end the fighting.

* * *

"_**This is Snapper Carr reporting. In a stunning turn of events, the Thanagarian forces have ended their occupation of Earth departing for locations unknown. Once again, the world owes a debt of gratitude to the selfless heroism of the Justice League."**_

Shayera felt bereft of the bravado and stoicism that had gotten her through her melee fight with Hro. The minor physical injuries from that fight are already healing, but as for the rest of her only time will on that account. She veered between crying and sniffling for hours after making it back to the manor house. Nobody had the heart or the nerve to yell at her.

"They have been in there a long time," notes Shayera.

"Yes, they have. If I may be so bold, I am neither a superhero nor a soldier. So I am hardly qualified to judge your actions by those standards. But I do know this, without the great sacrifices you've made we wouldn't be here to share this nice pot of tea," remarks Alfred softly.

He holds out a freshly poured cup on a coaster for her. His smile is comforting though not nearly as much as his words and as she reaches out to pick up the cup he lays his hand atop hers.

"Whatever they decide in that room… in my eyes, you'll always be a hero," reassures Alfred.

She smiles for a moment until all the muffled echoes from behind the close doors come at her.

* * *

She feels Alfred's touch upon her shoulder so walks off to where the six await her. She didn't understand how everything she had done manage to earn Alfred's respect, but maybe she is not meant to understand that either. She opens the door while putting her best demeanor forward and tell them her intentions regardless of what their decision about her.

"Before you start, I have something to say. I came to this planet a patriot. I had a mission and I carried it out. What I couldn't know was that I come to care about Earth and her people. That I'd come to care for all of you. I've spent the last five years torn between my feelings and my duty. I won't ask you to do the same. Therefore I am resigning from the Justice League effective immediately," announces Shayera.

She turns around then starts to walk except Wally intercepts her with an unexpected hug. She spent of the early hours of the morning fitfully sleeping and unaware that certain 'angels' are without wings. She briefly reciprocates his hug then continues out the door and then out of the manor. She only makes it as far as the edge of the promontory. Time ebbs by irregularly with the mess that is her mind as she thinks of it.

* * *

"You never asked how we voted," says John warmly.

"It doesn't matter," whispers Shayera sadly.

"Where are you gonna go?"

"I don't know. Some place where the fate of the world isn't in my hands. Some place where there are no more secrets, no more lies."

"Was it all a lie?"

She turns around and rays of the descending sun shimmer around her. As sad as she sounds, it is like an up draft to talk honestly for change instead of hiding behind her cover.

"I love you John. I never lied about," vows Shayera.

He didn't have to say it back she knows. She takes flight towards the setting sun. Shayera felt like she had to leave, that was always in the mission, but back then she thought she have somewhere to go back to. This is no longer the case instead before her is are familiar yet daunting skies and below her is a living yet hostile world. She knows what she looks for, but then again neither did Solomon.

Teardrops drip from her face to salty waters of the ocean. Hawkgirl is at an end, but Shayera Hol is not

* * *

A/N 1: Again the focus is on Shayera during the latter half of Starcrossed so what happens to her is the 'A' story where as what the others are up to is the 'B' story. I trimmed this chapter down from its original length since for the sake of pacing and less opinion forming on my part.

A/N 2: If one wonders why do I alternate between Hro and Talak. It is half-psychological and half-personal because the way his voice sounds shift around so to separate them I went with the idea that he speaks one way when he is alone with Shayera and another when out in front of others.

A/N 3: As for the cell block scene that is possibly what's on her mind when she walks pass their cells.

A/N 4: The way I write Kragger is how I think of Iago from **_Othello_**. As for Hro Talak, he is in some ways like Othello.

A?N 5: Like all chapters I do based on episodes, I was watching again as I wrote this.


	5. Rage

It is a dark room. The only illumination comes from ceremonial candles set in a ritual circle formation. There are three figures in cloaks. One of the three begins to recite an incantation. Another of the three moves into position for the shaping of the circle of power.

"O malefic one, your humble servants make these offerings. "

He starts to pour the powder to create the circle within the candle formation.

"The bones of wolves ground into powder, fat from the flesh of geckos rendered into candles."

The circle is nearly complete as the speaker moves to the next lines.

"The rune that is your name, unspeakable by our unworthy tongues."

The one who did the pouring and the speaker form the triangle with the third.

"O malefic one, we beseech thee, grant us the power to destroy our enemies."

"Especially Brad Turner, who if I have anything to say about it, has given me his last swirly."

The speaker glares at the third who had spoken out of turn.

"I'm just saying it's humiliating."

The speaker returns to his chanting.

"We beseech thee, grant us the power to destroy our enemies – We ask this in your name."

The powder starts to glow in the dark. A cloud emanates from nowhere. The rumbling noise is almost deafening to the three. The cloud takes on a face, a look of curiosity mingling with rage. The third steps back breaking the circle of power by smudging the powder. The cloud howls in anger as it dissolves into nothingness. The rush of air blows out the candles.

"Whoa."

"That was so cool.

"Yeah, but I don't feel any stronger."

"Me neither. What a rip."

"Just a lousy light show."

"That's what I get buying a book of spells on the Internet."

"My head's goin' right back in the toilet tomorrow."

"Don't forget the wedgies. I don't know if I can take it anymore."

"Me either. So I stopped wearing underpants."

The trio had quite the 'feast' for a couple of university students, but as underclassmen they were often the target of the upperclassmen that rarely had anything better to do except antagonize them. One would think after a certain age people would outgrow hassling and picking on others. However not everyone matures with age, some never grow up mentally, and others who encounter them on a daily basis would do anything to put end to the bullying one way or another. Of course these three decide to take settling the problem into their own hands.

"All right, Alan I guess we'll see you tomorrow, and don't forget these costumes has to be back at the shop by 4, or we lose our deposit."

The others left the speaker to clean up after their little get-to-together, which meant empty cups, left over pizza, and other 'delicacies' of university dorm 'cuisine'.

"Gee, Stew did you forget your dice again?"

He walks towards the door upon hearing repetitious pounding, which he figures must be his buddies. As he reaches for the doorknob, a massive fist smashes through the door and grabs his skull. It'll be one of the last things he remembers before he blacks out and never wakes up as he like his buddies are now dead. The spell had resurrected someone that died peacefully and now he is angry at what men took from him again. He found peace, he thought he found his soul, but now he has neither peace of mind nor his soul. He is once more made to walk this world except this time he is unable to speak, whatever these men had done, they had not brought him all the way back, but they paid for what they did to him.

They paid for their last mistake with their lives.

As he runs towards the wall, the ground shakes and more people emerge from behind other doors as it got there attention. They in mass panic retreat into their rooms and start praying to whatever they believe in to protect them from whatever is out there, but he holds no quarrel with them, no he seeks someone else now, the only ones who could help him so he must do bad things to get their attention. It is the only way, she most of all would see him for what he really is and know what he really needs now.

He had faith in her because she is his friend. The only problem there is he has no idea where to find her. He would crush anyone who got between him and her.

It is rush hour on the roads in the city and his appearance quickly arouses the interest of the police, which come after him first. He tosses the first patrol car that comes near him and it sails over the buildings as to whether someone could catch it that seems not his problem.

* * *

The other drivers scramble out of their cars and start running every which way to escape his wrecking path. There are already some fires spreading among the mash up of cars near him as he starts to pick up a bus full of passengers. He can hear their screams, someone would save, someone always did, but he didn't know if anyone could save him – the only thing he seeks now is peace to the torment that comes from this incomplete resurrection. He is not the living dead man he was before, he is something different as he lacks the words, the ability to speak, so only his actions can do the talking, but something is bound to get lost in translation for his actions outwardly seems purely destructive.

A woman comes charging at him after tapping something around her neck. It makes her faster, stronger, but not for him. Her headlong rush only takes him by surprise as together they smash through a truck then a wall. Together they come out a different wall, but he has both her hands in his large grip so she could not touch her necklace. He tosses her away causing her to crash into the fence and get a temporary knockout. He is about to go in to finish her off, but then multiple green bolts come flying at him – this one seems more familiar than her.

He is one of _her_ friends from the time before now. The one with the ring who now tries to bind him using the ring yet this unwanted resurrection brought with it rage that made him faster, stronger, and it seems more powerful than before due to the spell that triggered this resurrection.

He redirects his efforts to breaking the Ring Man's grip. The energy being directed at Grundy instead redirects back to the Ring Man, which knocks him out and sends him flying several blocks away from Grundy. The Necklace Girl runs past him so Grundy must instead chase after her, get her and the Ring Man down the street.

"John!"

He hears her say a name. The way she says it feels familiar to his fractured recall of the time before. His overcastting shadow alerts her to his approach so she turns to meet him – a very brave thing given his current power levels. It seems everyone who fights him only makes him stronger so the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets, but so far nobody seems to realize that except him though by being unable to speak – he can tell nothing to anyone.

"Come with it then!"

Something else hits him before he can hit her. It sends him smashing through four vehicles before hitting something that explodes around him yet not even the fire can touch him any longer. Grundy walks through the flames to see in the distance the familiar S symbol of Superman.

"Come on, Grundy, we've been through this before."

He makes no sudden moves against Grundy.

"You don't have a chance against me."

It is almost as if Superman is trying to provoke him except he says something about talking, but fractured memories of Superman show him to be no friend of Grundy and besides Grundy is unable to talk so talking is not the way to end this.

Grundy tries to punch Superman instead, but the Kryptonian leaps backwards then tries to fly head on yet possibly fails to notice that Grundy is motionless up to the possible second when he raises his left hand to catch Superman's right clenched fist. It stops the Man of Steel dead in his tracks, and then both can hear a bone crunch in the same instant too. Superman goes down to one knee groaning slightly in pain. As Superman tries to get up, Grundy punches him square in the face with the other hand and Superman goes flying backwards just like Ring Man – like Green Lantern.

* * *

The fight remains at a deadlock as no matter how badly he seems to hurt them, they will not back down and no matter how hard they try to defeat Grundy – it appears nothing that the trio have is able to stop the relentless Solomon Grundy. He buries Superman under a building only to have the same building fall on him and Ring Man comes at him again just before he breaks through the rubble. The energy from the ring as Grundy realizes does nothing to him, he only absorbs it, as the harder they fight, the stronger he gets. He truly seems unstoppable.

Grundy claps his massive hands together, which shatters all the windows within the clap radius and throws Ring Man for the fourth time since the battle began not that long ago.

Superman comes out from under the rubble then flies straight at him and Grundy grabs to two cars simultaneously. Superman's speed is no match for Grundy's reflexes as the two cars crash into Superman when Grundy smashes them together from opposite directions. Superman barely gets to his feet before Grundy backhands him all the way out to a nearby bridge breaking one of the support struts. It weakens the overall strength of all the support both from below as well as the cables that hold up the roadway. The bridge starts to crumble immediately if not for the sudden rising up Aquaman atop a giant squid.

The vehicles are completely unable to compensate for the destabilization of the bridge so they start sliding all over the place. One car is suddenly hanging precariously close to the edge and falls off the side towards the water. Aquaman can hear their screams yet he knows Hawkgirl will reach them in time for she is unwillingly to allow anyone else to die because of her though it seems much to solely put so many lives her shoulders, but then he had not been in a position to weigh the survival of two different species on two different worlds.

Her home was moving from stalemate to defeat in their war with the Gordanians. They were willing to sacrifice billions of non-Thanagarian lives to ensure the survival and triumph of Thanagar in the war with their enemies.

* * *

He is pushing over and smashing in buildings before he hears the voice of the one he has been waiting for all night. His only friend, his Birdnose, she had come at last, but his rage is now overpowering.

"Grundy!" shouts Birdnose.

He emits only noises now.

"Remember? Birdnose?" says Birdnose quietly.

He seizes her in his massive grip and slams her into the building behind them. There is a look of terror in her eyes as if she did not expect him to do that and again he hesitates to strike her like he had done only moments before. Some part of him recognizes her, the part that needs her help to find peace again, and the other part – the part that resents still what was taken from him is his rage. It is difficult to try fighting, but she's his only true friend in this world. All the others fight him first then try to 'talk' him.

She was different from the first time they went into battle together. His fragmentary recalls gain interruption from a hook on his wrist. The hook belongs to Fish Man and it actually hurt just a little. He yanks Fish Man towards then hits him square in the face.

* * *

"_**If you want to live, come with me," recommends Fishman.**_

_**He went with Fishman for it is Fishman who brought him to the Magician who had given him a name for that which he had sought all his living dead years.

* * *

**_

Next the Magician comes after him and the magic does some damage yet the result is the same as it was for all the others who went after him. Magician had shown what he kept forgetting upon rousing.

* * *

_**"What does stupid magician want Grundy to do for his gold?"**_

_**"I need to know your origins. How did you come to be as you are?"**_

_**"Grundy doesn't remember. Grundy's always been Grundy!"**_

_**"Doubtful. Perhaps a simple spell of revelation."**_

_Magician's hands touch Grundy's skull._

"_**Yes I see it now. Your name was Cyrus Gold…"**_

_The memories from oblivion flash before Grundy. Only he is not Grundy. He is Cyrus Gold firing his weapon at others in uniforms. Others emerge from the bank behind him so to cover them he takes a hostage while they get into the vehicle next to him on the street. The police don't attack him while he holds the woman as a shield._

"_**An evil man who performed many evil deeds…"**_

_He and the other robbers got away from the scene with little trouble and regroup at the docks. Their loot for the night is gold bricks. He always had a thing for gold, maybe it was narcissistic because of his name, maybe it was the way it glints in the light, or maybe it was because to be 'good' at something he did 'bad' things. It usually works in his favor as nobody could catch him and his capture reward kept going up._

"_**Until the day your evil aroused as great as your own."**_

_His 'partners' all took aim at him. He never got to his gun. They riddled him with bullets. Cyrus Gold was dead before his body hit the floor. His killers wrap up his corpse and toss it in the trunk of the car. They leave for the woods far outside the city limits._

"_**They ended your life. Cursed you with a powerful grigri and dumped your remains in a swamp resonating with mystical properties of its own. These magics did not sit well together."**_

_Cyrus Gold was dead. However everything else including his body remains intact. His hair and skin turns gray white. His physical form enlarges beyond recognition. His suit rips considerably, but attire would no longer be a concern. Almost none of Cyrus' preoccupations would linger in what is left of him. The transformation is slow, but the reanimation even slower. Fate's spell opens the floodgate of memories that have only come to him as broken bits and pieces over the years._

_It is like oblivion yet without pain of remembering than forgetting as this time he must not forget._

"_**And so it was decades later that the swamp gave birth to a walking dead man, soulless and empty, always seeking and never knowing why."**_

_**"Grundy remembers."

* * *

**_

However these two only had come to Birdnose's defense after her attempt to talk to him appears to have failed completely, which meant they had to take him down even though no one else had succeeded in that way since the battle's beginning.

It is because he seeks something that none so far have been able to give, which apparently seems something that is not far from the minds of those who had grown close to him in the short time that they fought at his side or had known his quest for a soul.

* * *

_**"He meets our needs," assures the Magician.**_

_**"Then we should begin immediately," insists Fishman.**_

_**Fishman looks directly to the Magician.**_

_**"The future of Atlantis is my only concern."**_

_**He lets go of his head as the pain subsides for a time.**_

_**"No. Grundy wants something."**_

_**"We're already agreed. You help us, I give you the gold."**_

_**"Grundy not want gold!"**_

_**Grundy shoves the chest towards the wall. It shatters spilling the shimmering gold coins to the floor.**_

_**"Grundy want what men took from him," implores Grundy.**_

_**"Their curse removed your soul," reminds Fate.**_

_**"Grundy wants it back. Will Magician help?" asks Grundy**_

_**"I will do everything I can," promises Fate.**_

_**"If you help Grundy, Grundy will help you," vows Grundy.

* * *

**_

The Magician's magic and the Ring Man's energy do nothing except to fuel his growing rage from within as he absorbs every hit physical or otherwise, but little by little each blow is slowing him down. Next Superman comes after him after he stumbles backwards slightly.

* * *

_**"I will warn you both again – because once I begin the spell I cannot stop," reminds Fate.**_

_**"And the pain will be unbearable. You told us this before. Get on with it," quips Aquaman.**_

_**"Stupid magician. Grundy not care about pain. Grundy wants his reward," interjects Grundy.**_

_**"Very well."**_

_Everyone is already in position so Fate begins the spell._

_**"The elements are gathered in a place of power – A wizard of great knowledge… the Trident of Poseidon… "**_

_Fate's magic channels through the Poseidon's Trident held firmly by Aquaman, which he tips towards the prone Grundy bound to the altar beneath his massive body. Grundy feels the magic in him, it is clear that he is pain, but all present know he'll endure it for his reward._

_**"And the forbearance of a dead man."**_

_Fate's chanting begins with the linking of the three._

_**"The walls between the worlds have been torn asunder."**_

_The chanting resumes with the next line spoken._

_**"I order them now sealed."**_

_There is further chanting with the third line's utterance._

_**"Power of the Titans which resides within their Trident, by the power of Lords of Order which resides within everything, by the power of Fate which resides in the Helmet of Naboo… "**_

_Grundy's body starts to resonate with the strengthening of the spell. He begins to glow as the magic builds towards the completion of the spell. Fate's chanting continues after this and his speaking of the fourth line._

_**"Banish the Old Ones and seal the breach."**_

_Fate chants even more._

_**"So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands! So Fate demands!"

* * *

**_

It was then that Birdnose's mace begins to disrupt the completion of the spell and what led to him bonding with her on the field of battle against the Icthultu. It is now that even Grundy recognizes that Birdnose as he felt before would be the only one who could bring him peace once more.

* * *

_"__**Speak to me – child of Thanagar,"**__ orders Icthultu._

_**"Nothing to say – I have got a gesture for you, but my hands are tied,"**__ snips Hawkgirl._

_"__**How I have missed your people's spirit,"**__ chuckles Icthultu._

_**"We don't miss you. We outgrew you thousands of years ago,"**__ proclaims Hawkgirl._

_"__**I gave your people everything. Why did you forsake me?"**__ demands Icthultu._

_**"Forsake? We threw you out. The price for your favors was too high,"**__ hisses Hawkgirl._

_"__**My tribute was equitable. I earned your faith," **__insists Icthultu._

_**"Really – What's a fair price for the souls of my ancestors?"**__ quips Hawkgirl._

_Down below Grundy at the words 'price for the souls' tears his attacker in two._

_**"Snake Face steals souls?"**__ grunts Grundy._

_He looks 'up' and prepares to launch him 'up'._

_**"Give Grundy back his soul Snake Face, or Grundy crush! You hear Grundy? Give it back"**__ yells Grundy._

_His first leap takes him to a floating 'rock' then he leaps again to another 'rock', which floats him further up. Hawkgirl looks over her shoulder to see him ascending pass her. She felt warm, she couldn't explain it, she felt almost sure that her life would end here and keep her from the true mission she can tell no one about because of her oath. Now Grundy just might save her life, she didn't know how to feel, half ashamed and half proud maybe, but one thing is certain Grundy would not live in fear of what might be and neither could she because of him._

_He jumps off it and lands atop the 'Snake Face' then starts slamming away at its 'skin', which bleeds the same dark green ooze like every other thing in this place. It is immortal perhaps, but not invincible because Grundy has the power to harm Icthultu._

_**"Where's Grundy's soul Snake Face? Tell Grundy. Tell Grundy or Grundy will crush!"**_

_The skin gives way dropping Grundy 'inside' Icthultu._

_Grundy continues his rampage within the Icthultu. He is doing irreparable damage as it appears he had found the nerve center of 'Snake Face'. He is pulling and punching like mad. Icthultu is howling in pain outside, now the soul 'stealer' knows how Grundy feels thinks Grundy. He rips away one nerve stem after another, the green ooze continues to flow, and now something comes out to attack at him yet it is different from everything else._

_Two of them latch onto him immediately. He breaks the one on his right arm, the other latches to his leg, but a third lands on his back. He always had a hard time reaching back there and now it is a vulnerable attack spot that 'Snake Face' is using. 'It' stings him upon landing on his back. The sting hurt though not as much as the pain of all which he had forgotten until tonight. He hears himself scream though it is proof that he must be getting closer to getting his soul back, it must be he insists to himself, he need only crush 'Snake Face' and he would have his soul because he would fulfill his promise to Magician._

_He would have also help save Birdnose._

_He rips the stinger off and smashes it into a puddle of ooze._

_**"Grundy must be close for Snake Face to fight so hard,"**__ groans Grundy._

_He runs towards the glowing light ahead and before him appears a massive black head with sharp teeth. It then breathes 'fire' that burns like stupid soldiers' new tanks._

_**"Big ugly monster thing won't stop Grundy."**_

_'Monster' buries him with a fist like the rockets from stupid soldiers' guns. It then picks him up with its claw and he is now closer to its head. He however snaps off part of the claw and starts stabbing it with its own claw perhaps the only thing tough enough to pierce its skin. It grunts in pain as it starts to succumb to the blows and finally topples over with Grundy right beneath it on the way down. Together they hit the ground hard with it atop him. The monster is slain, but the task is not done yet, there is still the glowing light beyond the massive puddle of the monster's blood._

_Grundy can no longer feel his limbs, his strength is fading and so is the pain. The promise remains unfulfilled he must keep going for the Magician, for Birdnose, and for his soul.

* * *

_

He felt his body slamming through the ground and then land in a dark place with water. Grundy struggles to regain his balance and tears his way through the grating. He does not get much further before collapsing for the magics that animate him now are nearing depletion. He waits for oblivion. He remains for her, and looks for his angel of death known now as Birdnose to him. His one true friend from before is her because even as he can finally die he would not blame her for she would take away his pain and suffering.

What else could one ask for in a true friend?

He remembers asking her to get his soul for him by fulfilling his promise to the Magician because he could no longer move and barely even breathe as the poison from the sting was fast acting once within him. He had little time, he could feel that much and so to her he had made his last requests. He could see she would be true for she had been this far.

The fading light told him that she had slain his last enemy – the soul stealer and soon he would have his back by the promise of the Magician and through the loyalty shown to him by Birdnose.

* * *

_**"Birdnose?"**__ whimpers Grundy._

_**"I'm here,"**__ assures Hawkgirl._

_**"Ahh… Grundy thinks he is going away now,"**__ murmurs Grundy._

_**"No- just hang on,"**__ pleads Hawkgirl._

_The others are arriving because she hears their foot steps behind her._

_He is dying there is no way to ignore what her eyes are telling, why her heart is racing, where her hands tightly hold his and not being able to tell when he will expire only that it is near._

_**"Do you think Grundy's soul is waiting for him?"**__ asks Grundy._

_She didn't know how to answer him. She thought she had lost her faith in such things long ago yet why she had spoken about price of souls to Icthultu before. She did not know except to remind him why she felt she by extension that Thanagar would never need someone like him again. This is true yet her people still yearn for faith even though they would never admit, they built a new belief system around being warriors who fought for their home land against all enemies of it yet here far from all things Thanagar she wonders if they could ever be more than just warriors – than soldiers._

_**"Grundy I don't believe – "**_

_She saw his expecting smile, she could not deny him his need of peace in death or the belief that he find his soul on his next journey beyond this place where his body perhaps could finally die ending the curse's suffering within him._

_Her eyes felt so wet, tears stream down from beneath her headdress, she rarely been one for tears, but she could not refrain from them. She felt so alive, so connected to him, that she did not want him to go, but she knows he will - he has to, because that's where his faith is taking him. She leans closer to him to almost whisper the affirmation that he needs to hear – that he needs to believe in for his soul._

_**"Yes, it's waiting for you,"**__ promises Hawkgirl._

_**"Then Grundy gets his reward,"**__ exhales Grundy._

_His thick eyelids flutter shut and she bows her head sobbing almost uncontrollably upon his hardened skin.

* * *

_

The rage fades with the strike of the weapon that brings him peace. If he could speak again he would thank her yet her words imply that she understands why this must be done even though it torments her so as he sees the pain in her eyes. She looks as if she feels that she is failing him, but in his mind – she would never be a failure – she merely kept having the tough decisions on her shoulders. She is his heroine, his friend, but now she would have to find her way again still. He hopes someone will be able to help her like she had done so for him twice in his supernatural life.

* * *

A/N 1: First of the **Wake The Dead** chapters - back to Solomon Grundy mostly. Some events overlap with this chapter and the next. There is certain amount of added scenes in this one. Flashback moments come from the first two chapters in this story. They are moments I thought would fit with some of the symbolism I perceived in this episode.

A/N 2: Just because Fate can't sense Grundy in this silent rage driven 'creature' doesn't mean he is not there or at least he is there though the rage is overpowering his ability to distinguish friend from foe. If you want to consider it notice how he hesitates in his early exchange of blows with Shayera.

A/N 3: I link the separate death scenes together because I imagine that both of them in some way remember their shared past experiences.


	6. Sanctuary

"It's your move, Hawkgirl," reminds Aquaman dryly.

Aquaman – Arthur – for reasons that escape is playing chess once more with the woman once known by many as Hawkgirl or Lieutenant Hol of the Thanagarian Military. Once both a heroine and an undercover agent, now nobody, not even her can resolve the questions she feels there are no answers for. She does not meet his irritated stare for it reminds her too much of Batman at times despite how cold yet understanding Batman could be – Arthur seems far from either quality in the moment. Every move is contemplated, thought out, sometimes made, and sometimes not made for it is chess.

She finally makes a move only to have the piece taken by his next move.

"Check in five moves," predicts Aquaman.

"We'll see," responds Shayera.

She again doesn't meet his eyes and it something that is clearly bugging him though nobody, not even he would admit that openly.

"Diana told me you used to regularly beat Batman," reminds Aquaman flatly.

Still she does not look up or show any reaction, which is contrary to his earliest encounters with her during her time as a member of the original Justice League roster.

"Difficult to believe from the current pitiful level of your game," insinuates Aquaman acidly.

She only moves another piece, says nothing, it is unnerving in a way given the way he perceived as being during their first encounter in this very tower only a few short years ago.

"I should have known better than to expect a proper challenge from a woman," snorts Aquaman.

He makes another insult and move thinking this time it would have to provoke her – make her show some signs of the woman she used to be, but something told him much of that woman is gone.

"Such scintillating repartee – I get better conversation from the android," mocks Aquaman.

No words, just another move of a piece on her part and her silences are really starting to grate him, but mostly her silence is self-induced since she neither cares to respond nor can she find the words necessary to stop him from trying to infuriate her. In the past, she would have hit him halfway across the room by now, but she stopped living by 'strike first or die' rule after leaving everything behind.

"You are aware I'm in the room?" queries A.M.A.Z.O.

Aquaman makes his fifth move.

"Check!"

She tips over her king piece.

"I win again!"

He glares at her unmoving before him even after losing another chess game to him.

"Huzzah," remarks Aquaman sarcastically.

"It's just a game," reminds Shayera flatly.

Aquaman bolts to his feet and knocks aside the chessboard with his harpoon, the one that many know replaced his self-amputated left hand. To this day, the loss of a hand seems minor compared to the prospect of losing his firstborn son to his brother's treachery.

The chalkboard, the pieces, and the table sail across the room.

Shayera rises to her feet to meet Aquaman's grimace.

"You disgust me," snaps Aquaman.

"Join the club," responds Shayera sadly.

Shayera just walks away and Dr. Fate appears at Aquaman's side.

"I could have told you that wouldn't work," says Fate knowingly.

"She was once one of the fiercest warriors I'd ever met," asserts Aquaman.

He looks back to Shayera's retreating backside.

"What's she doing here?" questions Aquaman.

"Trying to find her way. Leaving the Justice League was difficult for her. I provided sanctuary for her, a place to meditate on her life and future. We must allow her the time she needs to…" responds Fate.

Fate's words trail off and then he touches the forehead of his helmet. Something is wrong as to what that had yet to be determined though the disturbance felt vaguely familiar to Fate.

"Excuse me," continues Fate.

Fate hovers off the ground and vanishes through a self-made ankh shaped portal.

A.M.A.Z.O. telekinetically summons the knocked aside chess set and table back to where he is sitting.

"New game?" offers the android.

A challenge at last it seems, but what did he look surprised to be getting the offer from a machine.

* * *

The disturbance Fate felt led him to an all too unforgettable headstone. One he had been near not so long ago when he found the wayward Thanagarian Shayera Hol. She did not look all too well that stormy night. He rarely seen in anyone in such a state yet it felt like an echo of someone they bought met not that long ago. She had made many difficult decisions as of late by that night. As he would learn by degrees those decisions were not easily made or to live with daily when she is met with a hostile unaware of her sacrifices for their survival not unlike the sacrifices made by their mutual dead friend.

There is a hole in the ground just before Solomon Grundy's grave. The disturbance had come from the resurrection of Solomon Grundy so he would have to follow the trail and alert the League though he would also have others to tell as well as – those now within his Tower including Shayera.

* * *

Inza is tending her garden which exists in a separate dimensional plane as do many areas that further instill notions that the outward appearance of Fate's Tower is contradictory to all its planes and rooms. Behind her Inza can hear the cascading rhythm of the waterfall, around her she can see the buzzing of insects going about their work on her flowers, she can smell the scent of her flowers, and feel the tranquility of the water pouring from the pail to the flowers underneath them. The stillness finds only interruption from the appearance of ankh portal.

She knows it is not her husband for he is out investigating a disturbance and Arthur is still playing chess with the android, which leaves who is coming through now. Shayera often wonders through the dimensions if only to lose her self in them, to separate from all the things that prey on her mind, to push away dreams, nightmares, and memories of a life that no longer seems her own.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon. The garden still needed work," begins Inza.

She starts to walk away suspecting Shayera wants solitude if her countenance means what she reads it as meaning though soon she feels Shayera's gentle clasp on her shoulder.

"Don't go Inza. This is your place, I'm just a visitor here," insists Shayera.

"My husband and I offered you our hospitality. We respect your privacy. Treat this area as you would your own home," remarks Inza.

Shayera felt like she had no home anywhere. She is pariah to Thanagar, traitor to Earth, betrayer of her people and of the Justice League – her Earth clan.

Inza resumes walking away from Shayera.

"Aquaman thinks I've been here too long," interjects Shayera.

"Flowers bloom when they're ready, Shayera. Not before," reminds Inza.

She particularly detests aphorisms at times especially that one when she is standing a garden.

"I'm no flower. I don't know what I am. I'm not Lieutenant Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian Empire."

She tilts her gaze slightly downward.

"Not anymore. I've been stripped of my rank, exiled from my home world."

She looks to the sky. Flying she used to love that especially here on Earth because here she was the only woman with wings, not one among billions on Thanagar where wings only held purpose for battle, but nothing else. They are not revered on Thanagar, but on Earth that's a different tale altogether between aircraft and angels.

"I'm not Hawkgirl. That was always a sham."

In the corner of her eye, she sees Inza looking down yet she knows Inza is listening because it is the same way that Fate listens, that Batman listened – taking all that someone is saying and then consider what response would be best to give in the situation.

"Most people on Earth will never trust me again, and I can't blame them."

Eventually her eyes and Inza's meet as these next words are likely to be the ones that need not only hearing, but also require seeing for the intensity behind to be seen as well as felt when spoken.

"When I do my job, people get hurt. People I care about," finishes Shayera sharply.

"And what happens when you don't do your job?" asks Inza suggestively.

Inza's question certainly hit upon something, but the answer would not be found. It would find her.

* * *

"Checkmate," claims A.M.A.Z.O.

Aquaman's repeated attempts to defeat the android are meeting less than stellar success.

"You are improving. This time it took me 16 moves to defeat you. That's nearly double the number it took last time," reports A.M.A.Z.O.

The Atlantean King is merely frustrated yet undeterred with the Evolving Machine. It is marketable contrast to how he felt during all his chess matches with Shayera. He merely scoffs at his latest defeat at the hands of a machine, which is decidedly different than losing or winning against flesh and blood.

"Set up the board," says Aquaman.

Fate emerges from an ankh shaped portal as both players heard its opening.

"Solomon Grundy's grave is empty," informs Fate quickly.

Both the King and the Android stand up fast.

"Tell me where to find those responsible. Then dig more graves," retorts Aquaman.

"We are dealing with something far more sinister than mere human avarice. Grundy's grave was forced open from the inside. The site reeks of chaos magic," continues Fate.

"He left under his own power?" guesses A.M.A.Z.O.

"Far more power than he has ever evidenced before," replies Fate.

Fate conjures up an orb to reveal what the resurrected Grundy is up to at present. It shows him fighting at least three League members. Superman appears to be losing badly, Green Lantern is hit by a chunk of pavement, and someone new is with – she fares little better than the others.

"They need our help," implores Aquaman.

"So does Grundy," adds Shayera.

All three turn to face the unexpected arrival of Shayera.

"Let's try to get there before the League kills him," continues Shayera.

The live play of the battle continues to show Grundy as an implacable foe to some and unforgotten friend to others.

"That scenario… seems unlikely," comments A.M.A.Z.O.

The orb dissipates as the 'team' discusses strategy.

"In any case, are you certain you're up to this?" queries Fate.

"Doesn't matter – Bad guy, or not, he sacrificed his life to save ours. We owe him the benefit of the doubt," answers Shayera.

Aquaman doesn't dare to smile yet in the moment she seems more like the warrior he remembers him being from their shared history of battle and sees she will go forth again for the bonds forged between them as well with the one they know as Solomon Grundy.

"Very well," concludes Fate.

A hole between dimensions opens before the four of them.

"I learned the hard way that the energy dampening properties of this device can disrupt elemental forces. So I've kept it hidden in a pocket dimension away from the magic that most flow freely in my home. But if you are truly ready to take up the fight again…"

Shayera reaches into the portal once the nth mace is near enough for her to grab it and so she takes it in both hands as the others stand at 's side awaiting their fourth member to stand at their side once more.

"I'm ready."

She goes forth not wholly for herself yet rather for the friend in need that she sees out there. She could not save him before she thought, but she would save him this time regardless of the costs even to herself.

* * *

Aquaman and his squid have secure the bridge. However a car is now flying off the bridge, which Shayera dives after with a charging nth mace. She quickly strikes off the roof of the car and grabs onto its occupants. The little girl leaps into Shayera's arms and then Shayera reaches out to the girl's mother for not saving both would upset the other in some way. How did she know they were mother and daughter call it intuition - call it instinct - call it whatever one will.

Once on the wharf mother and daughter embrace before walking away together.

Shayera in a defense posture turns to face her ex-lover John Stewart in his torn Green Lantern uniform.

"Shayera?"

His voice suggests surprise to see her and as for her she did not feel ready for this encounter either so maybe an icebreaker is in order – something typical of the old her.

"Hate the beard."

Superman comes out the water soaking wet and holding onto the hand railing of the wharf. Almost like old time with someone walking in, coming up, flying down, and all manner of conversation interruptions happen to them in the past. She could instantly recall any and this had just become another.

"You okay?" asks John.

"Do I look okay?" snaps Superman.

Obviously the pounding that Superman had gotten from Grundy is putting the hero in a foul mood.

"Better than Grundy's about to," assures John.

The familiar ankh portal appears besides Shayera as all hear the voice of Doctor Fate.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance," offers Fate.

Aquaman by water and A.M.A.Z.O by air take positions besides Fate and Shayera.

"Okay, let's throw a wave of big guns at him. Me, Fate, and the Android," suggests Superman.

Superman then steps closer to Fate while whispering some to the magician.

"We let him out of the Tower now?" notes Superman quietly.

"I'm curious to see how you would dissuade him," comments Fate.

Shayera steps between A.M.A.Z.O. and the others.

"Hold up! Before the golden boy teleports him into the sun, I want to try talking to him," implores Shayera.

"Shayera wait!" John calls out.

She quickly takes flight towards Grundy's general direction, which means follow the path of destruction to find her troubled and recently resurrected friend.

* * *

"Grundy!" shouts Shayera loudly.

He looks at her only seconds later with orange yellow eyes – not those black ones she had first seen up close years before. He speaks no words though he makes a soft growl at her. It means perhaps he remembers her, at least she hopes so.

"Remember? Birdnose?" whispers Shayera tenderly.

He unexpectedly to her suddenly slams her into a building.

_I made a connection, he did not come at me swinging first, he knows who I am, but something else is driving him, something uncontrollable – I can't simply kill him – he already died for me once – not again. Better that maybe I should die by his hand than by any other's if you are going to kill me friend let me see it eyes open._

He looks as if he'll strike again except the familiar harpoon latches onto the swinging wrist in an attempt to pull him away from her. Shayera sees him knock Aquaman down then Fate comes flying in hitting him with magical energy, which he seems to absorb just as he does with the energy coming from John's ring.

Aquaman helps her out of the wall.

"What's happened to him?" asks Shayera lowly.

"I'm sorry. I sense nothing of the Grundy we know within that shell," confesses Fate apologetically.

Fate looks directly at her with the white lenses of his helmet.

"He is nothing, but rage," claims Fate.

_He is rage yet not rage alone. Why else would he hesitate to continue to hitting me unlike he had done with the others. I got to him even if only for mere seconds._

"Then it is time I brought this to an end," interjects A.M.A.Z.O.

Shayera tries to stop him yet to no avail as he pushes her aside using his powers that due to his travels beyond Earth's star system made him one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

"In all my travels in space, I have obtained mastery of forces all but incomprehensible to humans," claims A.M.A.Z.O.

It seems even limitless power is nothing against a walking lightning rod.

"Something is wrong. The creature is somehow feeding on my energies. He adds my power to his own."

A.M.A.Z.O. is as useless against the resurrected as the magics that Fate wields and the energy that comes from Green Lantern's ring. No amount of physical strength available to Aquaman or Superman is going to do much damage. It is in that moment that Shayera starts to realize what the only thing that can stop Grundy is for it is clipped to her belt at this very moment and it was the only thing capable of disrupting the magics used by in the ritual sacrifice attempted by Fate a few years back. The very same she messed up, the one that led to her friendship with Solomon Grundy, and ultimately the one that eventually lead her to questions she holds in mind to this particular night.

* * *

_The League trio had broken through the barrier by way of Hawkgirl's mace as Fate expected, but they would not interfere with this spell, they must not otherwise the Old Ones would come and then the end of the world as they all know it would soon follow the crossing._

_**"Stop!"**__ shouts Wonder Woman._

_Inza summons a barrier to enclose the Circle of Power. Neither Superman nor Wonder Woman would be able to breach it. Wonder Woman is instantly thrown backwards and then the magic from the barrier rapidly starts to wrap around her body. Hawkgirl shatters the barrier with her mace and the feedback knocks out Inza. Hawkgirl moves towards Fate and he tries to slow her down by using the Helmet's Eyes to stun her except she uses her mace once more. Fate realizes too late that Hawkgirl would ruin the spell and the feedback of his own magic thrown back at him knocks him to the ground._

_**"Do you realize what you have done? Leave here now!" **__snaps Aquaman._

_**"Not without Grundy and a good explanation," **__rebukes Superman._

_**"You've ruined everything! Aquaman stop them!" **__fumes Fate._

_Fate walks towards Grundy who is distraught because he perhaps felt closer to his soul as his pain worsened through the channeling of the magic into him._

_**"I'll try to improvise something, but I must be allowed to concentrate!"**__ continues Fate._

_**"Go away! Superman always takes everything from Grundy, but not this time! This time, Grundy crush!"**_

_Grundy tackles Superman. Aquaman goes after Wonder Woman._

_**"I've got Aquaman. You take the Magician. Your mace seems to be giving him fits," **__says Wonder Woman._

_**"Just for the record, I didn't start this fight,"**__ remarks Hawkgirl._

_**"First time for everything,"**__ cracks Wonder Woman._

_Hawkgirl flies after Fate, but he bolts upward to avoid her flying charge._

_**"Too much noise. Away!"**__ shouts Fate._

_Fate first opens a portal beneath Aquaman and Wonder Woman. They drop through it instantly. Next another portal swallows up Grundy and Superman. His attempt to summon a third to draw away Hawkgirl fails because of her mace. It is the metal's ability to disrupt magic that makes any attacks against her useless because as long as she has the mace no magic can do anything to her._

_**"Really not your day is it?" **__implies Hawkgirl.

* * *

_

It is from there that an unofficial team up is made to travel to the Icthultu's home dimension something she recalls thinking of as a story told to scare children including her when she was still a little girl. Everything seems so much simpler from a child's perspective or that's an assumption sustained by time.

* * *

_**"Grundy hates stupid screaming man,"**__ utters Grundy._

_Hawkgirl finds herself snickering at what he just said despite the fact if not for him she might not be alive to laugh at his unintended humor even though it probably is not meant to be funny though in the moment she finds it to be so._

_Fate's mystical projectiles rip through a whole wave of 'screaming men'. Grundy leaps up to the 'high ground' above the fight. Hawkgirl goes to join the others advancing through the 'low ground'. A boulder lands on the 'screamers' in front of her crushing them into 'dust'. She sees that it was thrown by Grundy, she is again at a loss for words, but overly glad for Grundy as backup, he is well on his way to becoming her friend._

_Her surprise look morphs into a slight smile._

_Then more 'screamers' rip through the 'high ground' in an attempt to surround Grundy._

_**"Grundy knows how he can crush lots of screaming men," **__chuckles Grundy._

_He raises his massive fists then slams them down faster than he brought them into the air. His fist smash shatters the 'high ground' and collapses the archway beneath it. The whole thing caves beneath him while crushing 'lots of screaming men'. He falls along with his dusted enemies yet as he drops Hawkgirl dives after him. She is glad that she caught him despite the strain of his weight on her wings. He had just down another impressive feat in her eyes and she is not willing to let her new friend die this way. She'll flap how hard she must to get him back to the unbroken 'ground' above them._

_**"Birdnose help Grundy?"**__ asks Grundy in surprise._

_His confusion fits how the others treat him, maybe even how she might have until now, but not anymore._

_**"But Birdnose and her friends hate Grundy,"**__ declares Grundy._

_She wouldn't say she hated him. She just didn't like the disorder that his 'associates' brought with him around. Maybe they were the only people who didn't hate him though they did use him perhaps. Maybe all he wanted was someone to listen, to care, to want something other from him than what his body could offer to them, she cease to see him as she had before, he is more than what he appears to be._

_**"Grundy help Birdnose. Birdnose help Grundy, okay**_?"_ replies Hawkgirl._

_His usual rock solid grimness softens as if she could almost see a smile on the dead man's face. There is almost something endearing about it. Something childlike and wonderful about him even though he had abilities well beyond that of what supposedly passes for an 'ordinary' human. To her, he just happens to be a dead man with supernatural abilities, to her, he had helped her and now she had done the same, maybe it really is that simple she thinks to herself._

_**"Excuse me, Hawkgirl smash,"**__ cracks Hawkgirl.

* * *

_

"Tell us something Doc," insists G.L.

"Grundy was revived using chaos magic, accumulative with no known outer limit. My magics are as useless as A.M.A.Z.O.'s technology," reports Fate.

Vixen elects to try a more direct approach by way of weakening the base of a nearby statue and then Aquaman topples by slamming into it with his arm. Shayera thought she could see surprise in his eyes as it fell on him or maybe recognition of something from his battle inside the Icthultu perhaps.

None could foresee that perhaps even someone like Solomon Grundy could be a hero too. She recalls watching him take several supernatural leaps to reach the top of what look like Icthultu's head then somehow force his way inside by pummeling the same spot multiple times.

The statue trick didn't work and the mistake nearly cost Vixen her life if not for Shayera hitting Grundy with the mace. It appears to weaken him instead of strengthening him thus providing an opening for Superman to slam him while John retrieves Vixen who is now quite battered from all her scraps with Grundy.

Shayera next intentionally put herself between Grundy and Superman as if telling him to back off as this is her mission to finish, not his.

"Don't make me do this Grundy!" pleads Shayera.

Both charge at each other head long yet with each strike Grundy gets slower and slower. However as she knows he doesn't quit until he is truly dead. Grundy makes another charge at her and she can her whole body shaking because now she would have to make good on her own vow which is that no one else would die because of her even it means killing whatever little is left of the Solomon Grundy she watched died not so long ago in her memories.

Another strike reveals the scar of the bite mark that slowly killed him inside the Icthultu. He turns to charge her again except she preempts him by smashing him through the pavement. There is no sign of him among the debris in the sewer tunnel, but in his current state he can't have gotten far.

"Why does it hurt him?" wonders Shayera aloud.

"It is because it is made of nth metal. Your people's technology was developed specifically to repel magical creatures. It disrupts the magic that animates him. The creature knows only rage and seeks oblivion," remarks Fate.

Her weapon – the only symbol left to her of Thanagar – is the very thing that would grant Grundy what he appears to seek if she follows Fate's explanation of what is happening at this very moment.

"Your mace may be the one object on Earth that can grant him peace," explains Fate.

John steps to Shayera's side before trying to get at the meaning of Fate's words.

"Your favorite movie's _**Old Yeller**_. You know exactly what he is saying," interjects Shayera.

She holds the mace a little higher as if contemplating once again the nature of her life, the purpose of her role, and all things that tie to this idea that she leaves only destruction in her wake.

"Is this my destiny? To be a destroyer? To betray yet another friend?" asks Shayera.

She looks straight at John in particular since she feels perhaps her betrayal of him is the worse for having fallen in love with him when she already promised herself to Hro over five years ago.

"It's not that simple… it never was," reminds Fate plainly.

The waxing is not something any wish to have even though Fate realizes Shayera's questions remain in limbo, but a decision must be on her part for she is Grundy's closest and dearest friend in this world.

"Only you have the power to put that creature of its misery," insists Aquaman sharply.

_Every damn time someone calls him a creature I feel too many things including insult for he has a name, he is a person, he is someone to some of us even though not all admit including Aquaman._

"And to stop it before it hurts anyone else," adds Aquaman sympathetically.

She feels John's gloved hand on her arm.

"You don't have to do it Shayera… I'll do it for you…"

He reaches out with his other hand.

"Give me the mace."

Their green eyes meet intensely as ever.

"Forget it, John. He was my friend."

She looks away as she asserts this as her responsibility and that she is doing this thing herself. The mace crackles to life once more as she dives into the breach. Perhaps it is irony or better maybe it is not that all when it turns out the only illumination in the ever darkening breach is coming from her mace. She touches down after a short flight down the breach shaft.

Sewer tunnel water surrounds feet and ankles. There is rubble to her left and right – not quite the innards of the Icthultu, but in some ways close enough to recreate the mood.

* * *

_**"Grundy," **__gasps Hawkgirl._

_She descends to his position to find her brave friend mortally wounded even for a dead man._

_**"Grundy can't move. Birdnose get Grundy's soul for him?"**_

_**"Rest, I'll finish what you started," **__promises Hawkgirl._

_She positions herself for an attack run to kill the Icthultu._

_**"You will do not do this thing, Shayera Hol of Thanagar. Icthultu still has faith in you."**_

_**"So do I,"**__ admits Hawkgirl._

_She dives charging her mace as she goes and delivers the killing blow for Grundy. The explosion from the hit throws her backwards and the glowing light starts to fade rapidly.

* * *

_

Not further into the sewers is where Grundy lies in a condition not unlike the one she found him after the fatal sting and the slaying of the last defense mechanism inside the Icthultu. She hears his weakening groans so she starts to walk finding that he torn off the grating not far where he must have landed she hit through the ground above these tunnels.

His labored breathing grows louder so she knows he is really close and then she finally spots him.

Their eyes meet as she walks towards him.

"Shh, it's okay," she assures him, "I know what you want."

She had never heard herself speak this way to anyone. Her voice hardly sounds her own yet somewhere inside her it feels true at least in this very moment here with Solomon once more.

"What you need."

She gestures to him to close his eyes. It would be brief enough to miss to anyone else except them. There is a momentary flash of light as the crackling mace lands its final blow giving peace to the rage driven Solomon Grundy and now she begins her long journey back to the street through the breach that brought him down to the sewers where he met his second death in her presence. The first in memory seems more heroic yet the second shares the intimacy of the first and perhaps more so.

* * *

"It's over," sighs Shayera sorrowfully.

She begins to walk away from them unsure what she could do now because she did what she had to do for Solomon, but beyond that she did not know yet the mystery of it did not bother her as much as it had before tonight. The uncertainty lingers and to one side of the street is a pack of reporters. Word had gotten out about her presence and naturally the 'vultures' were curious as usual. She knows no answer on that subject would satisfy anyone and what's more she knows somehow there are no words for such things – only that she either be forgiven or hated – each had their own decision to make about that instead of letting the press inform it.

She learns the vote was a tie, which Superman broke it, and some of her 'family' chose to believe that they could not weigh that event against all the good she had done despite the pretenses she had used as her cover while here on Earth during those years.

There were cries of denouement from the crowd, which John sought to silence yet she knows deep down some of that is deserved so she kept walking except a hand from the crowd grabs hers.

"You saved our lives. God bless you, _Chica halcon_."

"You deserve that too."

It is the mother and daughter she pulled out of that car which fell off the bridge last night. Shayera felt a little warmer inside because of her and her smiling daughter. The sun comes with the new dawn.

* * *

A/N 1: Second **Wake The Dead** chapter- back to Shayera - how past meets future with her coming out of seclusion to 'kill' a resurrected friend. Confronting her past decisions, her future role - concerns about being a destroyer are raised.

A/N 2: Past-Present scenes overlap - variation of ones from earlier chapters.


End file.
